by Lizzy Prince
“Are you and Butch from down south?”
Lola nodded, taking a slow sip of her coffee, her eyes never leaving me as she assessed me and apparently found me lacking. With a sigh, as if my question was such an irritant, she replied, “Yes, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”
“Ah, this weather must be really jarring?” The weather, that’s always safe territory.
She shrugged. “It’s Iowa.”
“Have you known Ryan and Munro a long time?” My curiosity got the better of me with that question.
She didn’t answer at first but stood up and took her cup to the sink, dumping the dregs of her coffee before she responded.
“Nearly my whole life,” she uttered the words like a challenge as if her knowing them longer gave her some kind of ownership over them.
Lola turned and looked at me, her doe eyes assessing and reading me like a book. Her hair was up in her usual tightly contained ponytail. She grabbed an oversized purse from the floor next to where she been sitting and dumped its contents onto the counter.
“You're like a black hole.” She sighed as she said this like she could barely be bothered to insult me. I tried to tamp down my anger at her comment, fighting my inner bitch who was ready to unleash.
She continued on as though she was doing me a favor. “I’m just trying to tell you the truth.” She shrugged. “Those of us with magic are drawn to one another, like magnets. The stronger the magnet, the stronger the attraction. The amount of power within you is astounding. I can feel it and so can the others. Even if they haven’t said anything about it to you.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I heard the note of envy in her voice. I gave her a sharp look. She just turned her head away from me, focusing instead on sorting through the contents of her bag before she continued.
“I mean, it’s not really your fault. You don’t even know how to control it. I’m just telling you because it’s not really fair for you to do that to him.”
My eyes were suddenly frozen on her hands, which continued to sort through everything she’d dumped on the counter. The mess included two knives, a taser, and several small glass containers that most people used to store leftovers. I saw her snap one of them open before moving through the kitchen to find the salt, using it to fill up her own container.
She strutted around the kitchen like she was familiar with it and knew where everything was located. Resentment filled me again, just like it had with the coffee mugs. I tried to be an adult, to be rational and shake off those feelings. Who cared if I knew where they kept the cooking supplies and dishes? Me. I did. Guess I wasn’t very rational. I waited for her to go on, unwilling to respond to her last comment.
She sighed in exasperation. “Seriously. You are like a black hole. You are one blink away from completely exploding and sucking everything around you down into the hole with you. You know that Munro can’t stay away from you. Your magic is like heroin to him. He’s a junkie and your magic is like the best shit he can get his hands on.”
Lola wasn’t even trying to be gentle about it. She was basically telling me that the only reason Munro wanted to be around me was because I, no my magic, was his own personal addiction.
“I’m not some dealer handing out samples to get him hooked.” I gripped my coffee mug so tightly I was worried it would crack. But I needed some place to divert my anger.
Lola looked up from her bag and locked her eyes on me, I saw a flash of pity that she blinked away quickly.
“I know. You can’t help it. No one ever taught you how to manage it.”
Even though it was the truth, and I fully acknowledged that I had no idea how to control my magic, coming from her it still felt like an insult.
“Still, since no one taught you the basics, I was pretty sure no one had mentioned all of this to you either. I figured you should know. Even if the boys are dancing around it. It’s really not fair to either of you.”
I refused to let her intimidate me. She might know way more about magic than I did, but that didn’t mean I was a shrinking violet. My backbone was thicker than her skinny neck.
“Noted. Thanks for looking out for me.” The sarcasm leaked into my voice even though I’d attempted to tuck it way down deep. Her narrowed eyes told me she’d heard it.
Leaning on the counter like we were talking about the weather, she shrugged and nodded toward the living room. “I’m just looking out for my people.”
And just like that, I felt like shit, because how could I fault that? As far as Lola was concerned, I was the interloper. She’d been in Munro and Ryan’s lives far longer than I had. Easing my fingers from the death grip on my mug, my shoulders drooped a tiny fraction of an inch. That was all I’d give her.
“Understood,” I said, and turned around to go back into the living room, not bothering to see how she took my response.
Chapter 12
After Lola’s rousing morning conversation, I was itching to go home and shower and change into my own clothes. Not that I wasn’t enjoying living in Munro’s pajamas, but I needed to check on Maggie and get my own stuff.
Ryan dropped me off when he took Butch and Mari to the airport. They were both planning on gathering the books and supplies they needed and heading back on the first available flight. Mari knew exactly what she needed to pick up from her store, but Butch had a much more difficult task ahead of him. He was charged with sorting through his books to try and find as many mentions about the two sisters and the prophecy as possible. He was hoping he’d get through everything by tomorrow and be back sometime in the evening, but I could hear in his voice that he wasn’t sure that would be enough time.
Maggie was eating a bowl of cereal on the couch when I walked through the front door.
“Hey, you’re back,” she said, craning her neck over the back of the couch to see me.
I shuffled over to her side and flopped down on the couch feeling like I was relaxing for the first time in days.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, giving her a covert inspection to see if there’d been any effects from the car crash that hadn’t been there the day before.
“I’m alright. A little sore where the seatbelt hit me,” she said, rubbing her collarbone gingerly. “More freaked out than anything.” She turned to look at me, concern shining through her eyes. “That was some seriously scary shit yesterday. Did the A-Team get a plan figured out to deal with Glenda the bitch witch?”
I turned my attention to the TV, finding her questioning gaze too canny. There was no hiding anything from Maggie. She’d see through all of my bullshit in an instant. I shook my head at some crazy reality show that Maggie was watching, her bowl of fruit loops abandoned and turning soggy on the coffee table. “They think they’ve found a spell to permanently bind her magic. Mari had to run to New York to get some supplies from her shop.”
“Eye of newt?” Maggie offered helpfully.
“Toe of frog,” I played along with a laugh.
Maggie picked her bowl back up and took a bite, giving me a look out of the corner of her eye.
“Yes?” I asked because I knew she had something she wanted to say.
“Is there like, a bad witch prison? I mean, I get that this is Munro’s mom and we aren’t saying that out loud in mixed company, but she should be in jail.”
I stared at her but didn’t really see her. I’d thought the same thing, but I didn’t know how to broach that subject with Munro. Essentially, our plan was to bind Hattie’s magic and let her back out in the wild as if she’d suddenly been rehabilitated. I didn’t think it would be that easy.
“I have no idea. I haven’t asked, but there must be a plan of some kind.”
Maggie grimaced and nodded as though she didn’t quite believe it but was willing to go with it for now.
“How did your mom take the news of the car?”
“Oh, my poor car,” Maggie moaned with a pathetic frown, and an extra stab of guilt hit me in the gut because I was the reason for the crash and
her totaled car.
“Maggie, I’m so sorry.”
“Un-uh. Nope. You don’t get to take the blame for what crazy ass murdering witches do to my car.”
I snuggled down further into the couch and lay my head on her shoulder, and she gave my cheek a little pat of affection.
“Anyway, my mom lost her shit but only because she was worried about us. Butch somehow managed to get the other guy’s insurance stuff. Which I feel slightly guilty about because he was obviously not in his right mind. But you know, whatever, he hit us. In the end, she wasn't too upset about the car, just really glad we weren’t hurt.” She tipped her head down to look at me. “You should probably send her a message.”
“Shit, yeah, I’m such an idiot. I didn’t even think about it.” I should have known Sara would have been worried. She wouldn’t have called me because she didn’t ever want me to feel suffocated. I was a complete jerk.
“It’s okay. She’s just worried about you. You’ve had a few things on your mind. It’s understandable that this wouldn’t have been your first thought.”
I lingered on the couch a few more moments, soaking up the normalcy of hanging out with my best friend before I made myself get up.
“Do you have to go save the world and stuff?” she asked with a teasing glint in her eye.
“Well, first I’m going to call your mom, then I’m going to shower and put on some clean clothes.”
Maggie eyed the t-shirt and baggy sweats I was wearing with a raised eyebrow and knowing grin. “I’d have thought you’d want to live in that forever.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “They don’t even smell that much like him anymore. I’ll have to trade them in for a new set.”
“Ah,” Maggie said in understanding as she turned back to her show. “You heading back out after that?”
I started making my way to the stairs, wanting to get my call with Sara over and into a hot shower. “Yeah, I need to try to figure out why my magic is on lockdown. Do you want to come with?”
Maggie waved me off. “I’ll leave you magical folk to it. Sam and I are going to the movies. Next time, okay?”
“Definitely,” I replied, so grateful that Maggie had Sam to distract her from all of this insanity.
I knew all this had been a shock and getting pulled into the mess yesterday had left Maggie shaken, even if she was acting nonchalant about the whole thing. Hopefully, Sam would take her mind off of things and get her to relax. Knowing Maggie was safe and okay would help me concentrate on figuring out what was wrong with my magic. It was one less thing to worry about.
Sarah and I had a quick chat where I assured her that I was okay a hundred times. After I checked that off the list, I showered and changed before Maggie had even finished watching her show. I decided to walk to Munro’s house since Maggie was car-less, and I didn’t want anyone to have to leave Munro’s to come back to pick me up.
The air was chilly, but it was a warm day for late December. The sun was trying to peek through the clouds, but there was a hint of snow in the air. It felt damp, and the atmosphere was heavy with an impending storm. A stream of sunshine broke through the clouds, and I felt almost buoyant as it warmed my face. Part of me didn’t want to go inside Munro’s when I arrived on his doorstep. The warmth from the sun and the fresh air were almost cleansing, and I wanted to bask in it before hiding out in the old Victorian house the rest of the day.
Over the last few days, the house had taken on a feeling of chaos with all of the people staying there. And of course, with Hattie trapped in the den, it was like a dysfunctional summer camp. Everyone was there for the same reason, except for the one student who was an evil murderer. Okay, so not exactly like summer camp.
I knocked on the door, avoiding the creepy brass gargoyles. Munro opened it a few moments later and gave me a quizzical look.
“Annie, you don’t need to knock. You can just come in,” he said as he shifted back to let me in the house.
“Um. Okay. Next time,” I said, feeling uncertain that I would ever be comfortable enough to just walk into their house.
“Feeling better?” Munro asked, taking in my freshly scrubbed face and clothes that actually belonged to me.
I’d changed into a pair of old, comfortable jeans and an oversized sweater that I knew was cute without sacrificing comfort. My hair was loose and falling halfway down my back. The wind had blown it all over on my walk over, so I was already itching to throw the long strands up in a ponytail.
“I am. Thanks,” I said as I stopped to face him, not ready to go into the main part of the house and deal with all of the other people. Munro shut the door and leaned back against it, waiting for me to say what was on my mind.
“Can we try to figure out what’s going on with my magic?”
Munro straightened up, his eyebrows lifting in surprise.
“Yes. I... do you want me… should I get Lola?” he stuttered out his response, which I found oddly sweet, until he mentioned Lola.
“No!” I softened my tone after I realized how harshly that word came out. “No, we don’t need to bother her. That is… unless you don’t want to…” Great now I was a stuttering mess too.
“I do!” Munro responded too loudly, taking a step toward me, and I wanted to laugh at the two of us. “I’d love to help if you’re comfortable with me.”
I swallowed and bit at my lips, feeling nervous. Our magic had always been so intimate and connected. Was I ready to feel that with him again? I didn’t know if I had any choice unless I wanted Lola to be my tutor. Puke. I guess there was Ryan or Mari when she got back, but when I gave it any thought, I knew I really only wanted to work with Munro.
“I think it will be okay,” I said quietly. Munro’s gray eyes searched mine with a mixture of need and pain clearly on display. He nodded but just continued staring at me until he blinked a few times and leaned back when he realized the space between us had all but disappeared.
Clearing his throat, he shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket, “We should go somewhere else I think.” His eyes darted back down the hall to the den where Hattie was being held captive. “Give me a sec to tell Lola, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Munro was back and ushering me out the back door to the garage before I had a chance to take a breath. We got into his truck and backed out of the garage within minutes of my arrival and without any discussion about where we were going. I let Munro drive us around town and he ended up taking us to Schmitt Park, which overlooked Dubuque’s lock and dam on the Mississippi River. From multiple lookout points in the park it was possible to see Wisconsin and Illinois across the river. It was a massive park full of wooded areas and pavilions and was thankfully open year-round. Although, right now it was empty because it was too cold for most normal people to be hanging out at the park.
It was a beautiful park, but I wasn’t sure it was warm enough to be spending any length of time outside. I gave Munro a skeptical look, but he just crinkled his eyes at me as if he already knew my complaint.
“Come on. We’ll find an empty pavilion. It’ll be warm enough.”
“Fine,” I grumbled but didn’t hesitate to get out of the truck and follow him as he headed to a building that sat just on the edge of the bluff.
The structure was constructed with logs and limestone that blended with the surrounding limestone on the side of the bluff. There were only three sides to the structure, the fourth wall that faced the Mississippi was missing so that the view wasn’t impeded. There was a small fireplace on one wall with a few logs already stacked inside as though someone had put the fire out before letting the wood completely burn.
It was chilly enough inside the structure that a fire sounded incredible. Munro saw me eyeing the logs longingly and smiled. He strode over to the fireplace and grabbed a piece of kindling from underneath the wood, holding it in his hand. I felt his magic simmering around him, and the kindling lit up like he’d put a match to it.
“Wow,” I flashed him a grin, repeatin
g what I’d said the first time he showed me his magic, and he tossed a roguish smile over his shoulder at me.
There were several picnic tables inside the building, and I sat on one of the benches closest to the fire with my back against the table. Munro came around another table and sat in front of me on a different bench, his back also to the table behind him. In that instant, nervous flutters worried their way through me as I thought of trying to tap into my magic. A flashback to the supernova of power I’d unleashed when Hattie had me trapped at the warehouse came blazing back at me. What if I couldn’t control the power? What if it was better to keep it hidden away?
“Hey, if you aren’t ready for this, we don’t have to do it,” Munro said as he reached out to gently touch the back of my hand. I felt a small zing of electricity, but it still wasn’t as powerful as it had been. Sadness hit me like a fist to the stomach and I had to fight the uncertainty that tried to sink me down into cold murky waters of doubt.
As I watched the flames flicker and snap in the fireplace, I held out my hands, trying to warm them. “It’s not that, I just wonder if it’s the right decision. Should we be unlocking my magic while Hattie is still dangerous? Or should we wait?”
Munro’s face was grim as he looked at me. “We can continue to bind your powers like we were before, only allowing you to do magic when you’re with me.” He had the good sense to look sheepish. “Or Mari or Ryan, or whoever.” He sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “But we need to figure out what is blocking it now, because this is not from our spell. If you had to protect yourself, you couldn’t, and you can’t learn how to use your magic if you aren't able to tap into it at all,” He said, almost pleadingly. The fear I heard in his words convinced me that this was necessary.
“Okay. Yes. Let’s see if we can unlock it,” I agreed.
The fire was warming up the small space, there was a sense of safety within the three walls. But when Munro reached out to grab hold of my hand, I stiffened. He stopped moving and held his hand up as though trying to calm a panicked animal.
