The Cursed Witch

by Chandelle LaVaun

  Saffie

  I stepped into the portal…and came out right in the living room of Coven Headquarters. Savannah and Gigi bounced in after me, both excited and laughing like that was the coolest ride they’d been on at the park.

  A large, warm hand pressed to the small of my back and electricity shot up my spine and down my legs. I gasped under his touch. But he just ushered me over to the couch then let go and walked away. I groaned and plopped down on the couch.

  Gigi ran her hands through her hair. “What now? Cooper didn’t even come with us.”

  I looked down at my hands and tried to make sense of what just happened. They looked normal and they weren’t even shaking. Of all the things that had happened to me since waking up with amnesia, that was the most terrifying, yet my hands were calm and steady. What is happening to me? What WAS that? My clothes were splattered with thick black demon blood but my hands and arms were clean – because of that armor.

  The bracelet Riah gave me looked like a bracelet again. That raw citrine crystal dangled in the center of my palm. How did that happen? How did it do that? What is it? I peeked up at him and my heart fluttered. Riah stood near the front door like a menacing shadow that I did not fear. What are you?

  He’d moved faster than a human could, of that much I was certain. There was a forcefield of energy around him, especially when he fought, that felt nothing like a witch’s. It was strong like Cooper’s but held a different flavor. My chest was tight and heavy, like I had to work hard to get air in, yet he didn’t even seem to be breathing. Maybe he was a vampire, though I wasn’t sure if they breathed or not. I knew he did. I felt his breath each time we kissed. What ARE you?

  He held a sword gripped tight in his palm. It was tall, nearly half his height and glistened as gold as his eyes. The hilt was thick and had intricate carvings into it. The blade showed words etched into the length in an elegant script that felt timeless and oddly familiar. Where did it come from? He hadn’t had it before. It must have had magic like his bracelet had magic. It had transformed into armor and a sword right when I needed it to.

  Can I summon that any time I need to? Is that why he gave it to me? Did he know I was going to need it? I squeezed the citrine crystal tight in my hand and let my magic rush to the surface. I still didn’t quite understand how magic worked, but mine seemed to always be there. Just under the surface waiting for me to let go. The more I released it, the more it wanted to get out. Golden glitter spilled from between my clasped fingers and then light flashed. Warmth spread up my left arm, across my body and down my right arm, leaving a glistening golden metal trail behind it. A ball of energy formed in my right palm and then that sword appeared out of thin air.

  To my surprise…I grinned.

  “Landreia, hey. I’ll explain when you get here, but we’re in Coven Headquarters —” Savannah’s eyes widened as she stared down at me and my sword. Savannah held her phone to her ear. “Yes, now – and we need you to get over here…no, we’re alive and unharmed. Just come. I need your help for a spell.”

  “A spell?” I frowned up at her but she’d turned her back. Gigi just stared at me. I glanced back over to Riah and my pulse quickened. It needed to stop doing that, to stop betraying me each time I saw him. But I still tasted him on my lips. His burning ember scent still lingered in my hair and on my breath. I swallowed and licked my lips. “A spell?”

  Riah’s face was set in stone. I had no idea what he was thinking or feeling. He gave nothing away. He just stood there like a statue holding his sword like he thought another demon might pop out at any moment.

  Savannah hung up her phone and slid it back into her pocket. “Cooper had to handle the clean up of our field trip. I’m hoping he’s grabbing our stuff.”

  Gigi dropped down beside me with a sigh. “What spell are you gonna do?”

  “Why are we doing a spell? For what? On who?” When the two of them just exchanged nervous glances I realized who their intended victim was. My stomach dropped. “Me, isn’t it? You want to do a spell on me?”

  Savannah bit her lip and nodded. She dropped down on the couch beside me. “Please, let me do a spell for you? I want to see if we can get your memories to surface, even a little.”

  I frowned but my pulse quickened as hope surged inside me. “You think you can?”

  “I’m not sure. But I’ve been working on a spell for a few days and it’s ready. I was waiting for the right moment to bring it up, and well…” Savannah pulled her leather-bound notebook from the satchel-purse hanging across her body. “After what I saw at Hidden Kingdom, you definitely have memories buried in there. You must, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to fight like that.”

  “She’s right, Saff.” Gigi leaned forward on my other side. “Those demons attacked and you just did it, without thought. You didn’t even know what you were doing but your body did.”

  “It’s proof that your memories are not lost, they’re just buried in your head somewhere. Somehow.” She held her book up. “This spell won’t hurt. I don’t have that kind of magic. It’s only going to try and use magic to unlock whatever is in there.”

  I opened my mouth then closed it. Her words brought tears to my eyes but I did not let them fall. I would not give in to that hope just yet. “I will try anything.”

  Savannah grinned and did a little dance. “Yes. Okay, Landreia will be here in a minute and we need her, so I’ll get us ready. But maybe can we put the sword down?”

  “Oh, right.” I stared down at the golden armor covering my arms and hands, and the sword gripped in my right palm that laid across my lap. I concentrated on it, pictured it retracting, but it just shimmered a brighter gold. My magic glittered onto my lap. “Um. One second.”

  The hardwood floor creaked in front of me and then Riah’s long, tan fingers slid into my line of view. His raw amethyst ring sparkled and reflected the gold from my armor. He reached down and pressed his fingers to my left wrist. Silver glittery mist coiled around my hand — and then the armor was gone, leaving only the bracelet. I gasped and looked up as his fingertips brushed over my bare skin.

  I shivered though I was not in the least bit cold.

  His eyes dilated and his nostrils flared. He yanked his hand back but his eyes latched onto mine.

  “What are you, Riah?” Gigi grumbled, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who’d been trying to figure it out. “A witch? You’re not a shifter, and that bracelet is not human.”

  Riah turned to Savannah. “Do the spell.”

  The front door flew open and slammed into the wall. Landreia rushed inside, her long black coat trailing behind her. She took one look at me covered in demon blood and her eyes widened. Her face paled. “What happened?”

  “We got attacked by demons. Cooper sent us here through a portal.” Savannah stood. “But Saffie has agreed to the spell I showed you and I want to do it now. Before Cooper shows up and considers stopping us.”

  Landreia nodded. “Come with me.”

  We followed her through a doorway and down a hall to a room at the other side of the house. When we got inside, I stopped short. The room had no furniture and windows in the walls. There was one window in the ceiling that let the sunlight pour in to make a circle in the middle of the hardwood floor. Around it, a five-pointed star was burned into the ground. White and Ivory candles were lined up in rows around the walls. There had to be a hundred of them.

  Gigi stopped beside me. “Whoa…”

  “What is this place?” I heard myself whisper.

  “Holy ground,” Landreia whispered. She paused for a moment then shook herself and hurried inside. “Evaline and I used to do some spells in here. I don’t want to take any chances. Savannah, in the chest to your right you’ll find what we need for the purification ritual.”

  Purification ritual?

  Landreia grabbed my hands and pulled me forward until I stood at the top point of the star. “Kneel right here. That’s all you have to do. Just stay put.”

&nbs
p; I nodded but my pulse was already pounding out of control.

  “Can I stay?” Gigi asked.

  “Yes, just stay outside of the circle.” Landreia pointed. “In that corner. And Riah—”

  He arched one blond eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. His long sword hung down the center of his body.

  “That’s fine,” Landreia said in a rush. “Savannah, cast the circle. I’ll prepare this.”

  Savannah nodded and pulled a jar of white powder out from within the wooden chest. Landreia grabbed the chest and carried it over to kneel in front of me. She pulled out a small silver dagger, a golden chalice, and six colorful crystals.

  Landreia held her hand out. “Notebook.”

  Savannah quickly sat it in her palm. “Ready?”

  Landreia nodded.

  For what? What the hell is happening? This looked a lot more intense than I was prepared for. Butterflies danced in my stomach as it tightened and flipped. I licked my dry lips and swallowed.

  Savannah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she reached in the jar and pulled out a handful of salt. She opened her eyes then poured the salt from her hand onto the floor…and started walking a circle around us. “I cast this circle round and round, To follow me as I walk this ground. Come with us where we go today, Protect us while we move through the fray.”

  The salt twinkled like stars in the night sky. Warm, soothing energy filled the air around me. Savannah turned and kneeled down across from Landreia so that the three of us made a triangle inside the circle. The objects Landreia had taken out sat in the circle of sunlight around Savannah’s notebook.

  “Let us hold hands,” Landreia said softly.

  I reached out and put my hands in theirs.

  “Ancient strength of witches beyond, Call the Goddess to deepen your bond,” Landreia chanted softly. “Sacred stones lend us your charm, Purify us of all harm.”

  A cold chill slipped down my spine, through my legs, and into my feet. I frowned and watched the energy ripple through the sun’s rays in a straight shot for the ground. It hit the stones first; they lit up and sparkled like stars. They hovered above the ground for a moment then spun in a circle around the notebook.

  “Element of water, come witness this rite. This tool of ours needs your sight,” Landreia called out. “Element of Earth, cleanse this space. Set the purification in place.”

  My gold magic shot out of my palms and into theirs. It traveled through our circle’s interlocked hands, round and round until it spun so fast it looked like a ribbon. The ground trembled beneath my knees, sending vibrations into my bones.

  “Element of air, send your charge. Spread your magic with us at large. Element of fire, hear us this hour. Share with us your strength and power.”

  Energy popped and crackled around my face like fireworks. Flames sparked from around the notebook and danced above the floor. The locket filled with golden light so bright I had to look away.

  Savannah sighed. “That was…intense.”

  Landreia glanced over at me quickly then look away. “Something told me we needed to do that.”

  Savannah nodded. “Good call.”

  “Was that normal?”

  Savannah and Landreia exchanged nervous glances then nodded. But I didn’t buy it at all. Whatever had just happened, hadn’t gone down the way they were expecting.

  “Okay…” Savannah cleared her throat. “This next part is easy. I’ll just read the poem. Hold on until I say it’s over.”

  I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Okay. Let’s do this.” I couldn’t back out now.

  If there was even a sliver of chance that this might work, I was going to take it.

  Landreia nodded. “After you, dear.”

  Savannah dropped Landreia’s hand and flipped the book open to a page with a long poem written in elegant script. She took Landreia’s hand again and licked her lips. She leaned over the book and read in a soft chant, “Confusion clings to every corner of your soul like the death of morning dew. Run through the blackness, through the forest, through graveyards of unease and shadow. Until the silver light imbues.”

  Sharp, cold energy shot down my spine. My back arched and I gasped.

  “It breaks through the chaos, a peace that surrounds. A strength that flows around you drawing in the shadows around.”

  Hot energy ruptured from within my chest and erupted out of me like a volcano. I didn’t know what it was, but I couldn’t stop it. It swept over the unlit white and ivory candles row by row, leaving little golden flames on each wick until every single candle was aflame.

  Savannah’s eyes widened, but she kept reading. “Silver light floods the forest, the darkness ignites. The moon has heard your cries, and acknowledges your plight.”

  The hardwood floor rattled. Each narrow panel creaked and lifted up and down. Thick dark blue smoke billowed out from between the cracks. I heard Gigi curse but when I looked I couldn’t see her. The blue smoke rose up, swaying and moving like it was alive. I searched for Riah through the smoke but it drenched him in shadow.

  Then the smoke swirled and his bright golden eyes shined through the haze.

  His gaze held mine. I focused on it. His presence was the only anchor I had in the chaos.

  Landreia gasped and it pulled my gaze from Riah. I followed her wide stare – and my jaw dropped. My heart fluttered. The candles that were white and ivory were now all blue.

  “The blindness that devoured you, has power no more. You see what has been stolen, what’s needed to restore,” Savannah chanted, though her face had paled.

  My fingers trembled. The candle flames turned jet black. The blue smoke began to glow and climb up the walls. The sunlight pouring through the window in the ceiling turned glittery gold.

  “Protection now envelops you, wisdom you implore,” Savannah’s voice rose. “Take back what has been lost, all you knew before.”

  Gold and blue light flashed like a firework between us and then the room fell still. The smoke vanished. The candles turned back to white and ivory. The flames went out all at once.

  For a moment, we all just sat there in stunned silence.

  “Holy shit,” Gigi said with a groan. Her hair was windblown and pushed back from her pale, stricken face.

  “Savannah?” Landreia whispered.

  She shuddered and shook herself. “Yes. Sorry, it’s over. We’re done.”

  I looked up and my gaze met Riah’s again. I wanted him to speak. I wanted to know what he thought, felt, about what just happened…but he just nodded once and then spun and vanished out of sight.

  My breath left me in a rush and I sagged.

  Savannah squeezed my hand. “Well? How do you feel?”

  I sighed. I have no idea. “The same.”

  “Magic needs time for things like this.” Landreia tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled. “We must wait and be patient.”

  I don’t know how much longer I can take this.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Saffie

  “There. All done.” Savannah leaned back and lowered her makeup brush. “Damn, I’m good.”

  Gigi walked over and her dark rimmed eyes widened. “Wow, Savannah. This might be your best work yet. I mean she looks wholly feminine and beautiful but also insanely fierce at the same time. She doesn’t even look human…but in a good way.”

  “That’s kind of the point.” She winked at me then stood up. “Time for dresses, then we can bounce.”

  I licked my lips and rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans. We were headed to the Yule Ball at school so Savannah had done my makeup. She was also loaning me a dress. Her being a borderline hoarder was really working out to my advantage because she had all kinds of clothing options that fit me. Surprisingly, that meant dresses too.

  “So…what do you have for me?”

  She sashayed over to her closet and pulled a few things out. “A couple options, just gotta get ‘em out.”

  “Okay.” I turned to Gigi
and smiled. She wore a deep red gown with lace long sleeves. “G, you look gorgeous.”

  The red color looked amazing with her deep complexion. The golden ends of her hair were a perfect highlight. The dress hugged her hour glass frame in all the right ways without being too risqué. The hem fell to just below her knees in a sleek a-line, or at least that was what she’d called it. Savannah had done her makeup as well, and I was obsessed with her bright red lipstick and the red tones of her eyeshadow. She may have shifted into a penguin, but tonight she was a fiery phoenix.

  “Thanks, Saff. So do you. Have you looked yet?” She pointed to the mirror behind me.

  I shook my head and she arched her eyebrows. Just look. She’d done such a good job on Gigi and herself, I couldn’t expect less for myself. I took a deep breath then spun on the stool — and gasped. My jaw dropped.

  Is that ME?

  I leaned forward to get a closer look. My skin shimmered subtly, like I was made of sunlight. I now understood what she meant about contouring. Thanks to her tricks, my cheekbones were to die for. My lips were painted a deep nude that had the slightest hint of pink. There was something magical about the color on my face.

  But my eyes…they were my favorite part. She’d painted my eyelids in dark blacks and browns, like shadows in the night. Thick black lines traced the edges of my eyes then winged out at the ends. My lavender irises sparkled like diamonds in a spotlight. Like Riah’s amethyst ring in the sunlight. My cheeks flushed a deep pink just thinking about him.

  Gigi leaned into the mirror and wagged her eyebrows. “So, have you seen Riah today?”

  I groaned. They saw right through me. “No, he’s definitely avoiding me.”

  “Got it! My eighth grade prom dress!” Savannah stepped out of her closet holding up a long violet gown. She grinned and there was something sinister about it. “Let’s see if we can get his attention.”

  “Thanks for the ride, mom!” Savannah yelled through the open window of her mom’s car.

  “No problem. You girls have fun!”