by R L Medina
“You’re not doing this alone, Rose.” Javi frowned at me.
“But—”
“No. We’re in this together. All of us,” he finished.
“We still have our passes for tonight. So, I say we go tonight,” Shiloh added.
“But what about curfew?”
“We’ll have to break it.” She winced at me.
Javi groaned. “Of course, we will. We already went to the headmaster’s island uninvited so what’s breaking curfew?”
“If there was another way…”
Javi squeezed Shiloh’s hand. “I know. It’s okay. You know I’m in.”
4
Surprisingly, Gloria’s home was only a few miles walk down the beach from the school. The moon was up by the time she was ready to meet us there. The waves crashed along the shore and a chilly breeze blew around us.
There was only an hour left before curfew and our day passes would expire. I didn’t know how locator spells or seeing stones worked, but I doubted we’d get the answers we needed before our time was up.
“Did you set up your protection barrier?” Javi broke the silence.
“Me?” I turned to him.
He shook his head. “I was talking to Shy.”
Right. That made much more sense. I was still struggling my way through the basic chants and the only protection I could muster was an invisible physical shield for myself that I could barely hold for more than a few minutes. Having to hold it for the duration of a battle on top of a mental shield too sounded impossible.
“I got it.” Shiloh’s answer cut through my thoughts.
“Can you teach me how to do that?” I asked her.
She smiled. “Of course.”
“For now, me and Shiloh can hold the barrier. And you brought your sword, right?” Javi gave me an expectant look.
I looked from him to Shiloh. “No? Did you guys bring weapons?”
He scoffed. “Of course. We’re going into a witch’s house. You should always be prepared.”
“But… it’s Gloria,” I argued.
“Doesn’t matter. A GRIMM should always carry a weapon. Always.”
I lifted up my ringed finger. “Doesn’t this count for something?”
“Yeah, if you actually knew how to cast spells with it.”
My cheeks flamed. Shiloh held up a hand to stop him before I could respond. “She’s learning, Javi. Back off.”
He shook his head but fell silent. I fought the urge to snap something back at him. Technically, he was right. I probably shouldn’t have been walking around without my sword. Especially with Luna Negra still out there, but I wasn’t a practiced soldier like him. I didn’t think about bringing a weapon to a friend’s house. Besides Gloria was a witch, so surely, she could help keep us safe too.
Guilt filled me. Look what happened to others who had tried to keep me safe. It was wrong of me to count on them when it was my life at stake. I made a silent vow to never leave without my sword again.
Whether I wanted to be a GRIMM or not, I needed to learn to protect myself.
“Here. I think this is it.” Shiloh paused. She held up the napkin with the glowing sun.
I stared at the empty space. “This is what?”
“Gloria’s place.”
“It’s shielded,” Javi clarified.
Of course, it was. The witch probably didn’t want all the students knowing where she lived. The moonlight shone on the sand as I watched Javi and Shiloh work together.
Before they could cast anything, a cold wind whipped around us. The dark outline of a building appeared, making me stumble back.
A figure stepped outside and into the moonlight. Gloria.
She waved us inside.
I looked around in awe. Unlike Los Reyes’ mansion, Gloria’s bungalow was homey and cozy. Were we even in Malibu anymore? It was everything you’d expect a witch’s home to look like.
Strange plants and bottles of who knew what cluttered every nook and cranny. It reminded me of our old housekeeper, Lupe’s, cottage on our property. Realizations struck me. Had she been a witch? Did Papi know? I tried to remember why she’d left and when but kept drawing a blank.
Dread filled me. Had she been a spy for Luna Negra? Pretending to be our friend, but there to watch my sight manifest? Papi had gone above and beyond to help her and her kids. A tightness filled me, the ache of missing Papi still fresh. Despite Jesse’s revelation of my birth father being Rafael’s dad, I couldn’t erase the love and memories I had of the man who raised me as his own. The man my mother had married after leaving the coven.
A familiar bitter taste of betrayal filled my mouth. Had she ever loved him like he had loved her or was he just a cover up for her? And what about Rafael’s mother? I still didn’t know the story of what happened to her. Did she know about her mate’s unfaithfulness?
“Wait here, please. I’ll be right back.” Gloria motioned us to a well-worn couch.
Rustling sounded from the other room as we waited. The smell of candle wax and dried herbs wafted in the air. I breathed it in and sighed. Was it magic or just nostalgia that put me at ease so quickly?
“Rose, Shy, look.” Javi’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
I glanced up to find him brandishing a giant gnarled looking piece of wood.
Shiloh gasped. “What are you doing? Put that back, Javi.”
“What is Gloria doing with this wand, huh? This is outlawed.”
Shiloh glanced at the open door and back to him. “Put it back, Javi. There could be a perfectly logical explanation for why she has that. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
My cousin grunted but placed the stick back. “I don’t know. Seems suspicious to me.”
I marched up to him and lowered my voice. “This isn’t an investigation, Javi. We’re here for her help. Illegal help too, so you have no right to point fingers at anyone.”
“That’s different.”
“What? How is it different? We’ve broken the law numerous times. No one here is innocent.”
“Yeah, but we’re GRIMMs.”
I rubbed a hand across my face and glanced at Shiloh. “Help me out here, Shiloh. I know you can’t agree with this hypocrisy.”
She sighed. “Rose is right, Javi. We’ve done our share of lawbreaking and while I do agree the law has its place, I also think good personal judgment is imperative in a GRIMM. Sometimes the law is in the wrong.”
“We have laws for a reason. To avoid another world war,” he muttered stubbornly.
“Yeah, and look where we are now. Facing another worldwide war,” I pointed out.
Shaking his head at me, he took a step back and bumped into a little side table, knocking it hard enough to dislodge the potted plant on top of it.
I grabbed the clay container before it fell. “Careful.”
Setting the dead plant back in its spot with one hand, I pointed my cousin to the couch with my other hand. “Sit down now, before you break something.”
He sank down next to Shiloh and frowned at me. “It’s dead, anyway. Not like I can kill it twice.”
“Kill?” Gloria appeared in the doorway, making us jump. Her eyes darted across the room.
The tips of Javi’s ears reddened. He ran a hand through his hair, looking guilty as ever as he and Shiloh rose to their feet.
More witches streamed in, dressed in various styles. Looking at them, they didn’t look like they belonged to the same coven, let alone the same town. How did they even know each other? They were an eclectic group just like Gloria’s mismatched, clashing home décor.
The one thing they did seem to have in common was the distrusting stares aimed in our direction. I scooted closer to Javi and Shiloh. The last time I’d been surrounded by so many witches it had been the Luna Negra and though these weren’t the same people, I couldn’t help but fear them.
Javi stood tall, the confident look on his face belying the fear I knew he was truly feeling. We were students who, apart from Shiloh, lack
ed the magic ability the witches had. Should they turn on us, we were sorely outmatched.
Gloria turned to Shiloh with a look of surprise. “Did a witch help you with that shield?”
I glanced at my friend. Her face reddened at everyone’s attention.
“My grandmother taught me some magic. Before she died. It’s really the only spell she taught me that I can remember.”
Javi gaped at her. “Your grandmother?”
Her eyes shifted to Javi before she lifted her chin and met Gloria’s eyes. “She was a witch.”
My mouth dropped at the revelation as well. Why hadn’t she told us before? Javi was scowling, no doubt more surprised than I was. His obvious disapproval of witches probably stemmed more from his dad’s bitterness at my mom’s life choices than anything.
“But your mother was GRIMM?” Gloria pressed.
Shiloh nodded. “Both my parents… before.”
She couldn’t get the rest of the words out. I squeezed her hand, understanding full well the pain of losing a parent so young. Though her father was still alive, a mission had left him comatose for most of Shiloh’s life, leaving her stepmother to raise her.
The witches murmured, their voices filling the small room. They didn’t look dangerous, but I couldn’t help but be wary.
“And did you touch this?” Gloria held up the little pot I’d caught.
I flushed. “No, I did. Sorry. It got knocked and I caught it before it fell.”
She peered at the dead plant and glanced back at me. “You caught it? Did you try a reversal spell on it?”
Noticing my confusion, she held it out to me. I looked inside the clay pot.
Lush green leaves replaced the brown. I blinked. Had I done that?
“Rose! You must have healing magic.” Shiloh smiled excitedly.
Javi looked skeptical. I stared at them, dumbfounded. What were they talking about healing magic?
“I didn’t do anything. Promise. I just touched it. I don’t even know what a reversal spell is.”
Gloria smiled. “It’s alright, Rose. You’re not in trouble. I’m impressed. You healed this plant with little effort. Reversed the effects of time and decay.”
Her words startled me. I remembered Javi telling me on my first day that I had to be careful with magic because spells could be cast unknowingly if you had a conduit and affinity for magic—which apparently, I did?
“I mean I did wonder what kind of plant it was before… would that be enough to… heal it?”
She cocked her head at me. “I suppose so.”
Her words rattled me. My mind took me back to the nightmare of being splayed out on the stone altar. A ringing filled my ears. Heat rushed over me. Ash’s crumpled body flashed before me.
The metal she’d given had helped heal me when the blade sliced skin. But had it been more than that? Had I somehow started a reversal spell unknowingly?
“Gloria, we should hurry,” one of the women interrupted.
Our hostess nodded, still studying us.
“Are we… sticking with the new plan then or the old one?” a witch, who didn’t look much older than Javi, asked.
“What plan?” Javi’s eyes narrowed on him.
Gloria shot the witch a warning look and smiled at us. “You have to forgive us, helping GRIMMs with forbidden magic is risky for us. You understand.”
“Of course. But we wouldn’t be here if we had another choice. We give you our word, we won’t tell anyone about this.” Shiloh looked to Javi and I.
We nodded in agreement though Javi still looked uncomfortable. What we were doing was illegal according to the GRIMM rules. He had to be having an internal war with himself, wondering what consequences we’d face, but deep down, I knew he would do whatever it took to protect those he loved. Just like his dad had by covering for my mom.
“Do you really need your whole coven to do a location spell?” my cousin asked.
I flushed at his suspicious tone. They were just trying to help us.
Gloria smiled, unfazed. “I called them all here. In case whatever you are looking for is shielded by Luna Negra.”
My stomach churned. “You think Luna Negra is involved?”
“Well, it depends. What are we looking for?”
I exchanged a look with Shiloh and Javi. So far, the GRIMM hadn’t found anything or hadn’t been forthcoming with any information if they had. Gloria and her friends could actually help us.
This could be our chance.
“It’s Grayson.” I broke the silence.
“And Brady,” Shiloh added.
I looked to her in surprise. “Brady, but his dad said—”
“I just want to make sure,” she finished.
Gloria smiled at her. “Of course. It’s a good thing we do have all of us here then. Performing two location spells so close together, will take more power.”
“But you can do it?” I asked, hope stirring.
She turned to me. “We can try. I can’t make any promises.”
“You said you had something to help. Something that we didn’t.” Shiloh looked to the witch.
The older woman nodded. “Yes. That’s right.”
“Well, what is it?” Javi asked.
Gloria motioned her friends closer. I tensed as the room grew crowded. Javi’s hand slipped to his hip. Ready to grab his sword?
“It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you. For a locating spell you need something connected to what you’re looking for or in your case, something connected to your friends. And do you know what else you need?”
“A conduit specifically designed for Earth magic,” Shiloh answered.
The witch nodded. “But there’s something else too. You said your locating spells didn’t work, right? Well, then it sounds like there’s a powerful shield in place or some type of blocking spell.”
“Yes, but I’ve already tried to disable them.”
“With shadow magic?”
Javi tensed. “That’s forbidden.”
Shadow magic. The words shook me. Grayson had shadow magic. A memory of him and the dark fairy princess replayed. Had the GRIMM chipped him with a conduit designed for forbidden magic? Anger burned through me at the thought.
“No. I don’t have any conduits for shadow magic. I don’t even think we stock them at the school.”
“Probably not where students could get to them,” another witch spoke up.
Javi frowned and opened his mouth probably to argue, but I stopped him.
“Just do whatever you have to do to find them.”
His eyes slid to me. I ignored his warning look. This wasn’t the time to play GRIMM. Grayson needed us. Maybe Brady too.
Gloria met my stare. “This magic is powerful and dangerous. Even Jimena can barely wield shadow magic.”
“Then what makes you think you can?” Javi asked.
“No, not me. We will need all the witches. Beatriz, please.” She turned and motioned to one of the older witches.
The elderly woman shuffled forward, dark eyes narrowing at us. “I still think this is a bad idea, Gloria.”
Gloria smiled affectionately at her. “The jar.”
With a grunt of disapproval, the woman handed Gloria a glass jar. My heart dropped into my stomach. It was filled with a skeletal hand, matted clump of gray hair, and an eyeball—an actual eyeball.
Javi swore. I covered my mouth as nausea rolled in my gut. I glanced at Shiloh to find her staring at the grotesque collection, her face blanched.
“What the Hell?” I spoke first.
“This is Santi. His affinity was—”
“Shadow magic,” Shiloh finished.
Gloria nodded at her. “Exactly. He’s going to help us break that blocker.”
“But he’s… how is he going to help?” I tore my eyes away from the unseeing brown iris smushed against the glass.
“He’s the conduit,” Gloria explained.
I gaped at her and turned to Javi. “What?” I shook my head,
“You know what, never mind. You can explain it to me later. Let’s find Grayson and Brady.”
“Right. Put the items you have for the location spell on the couch. And the stones.”
“How do you know about the stones?” Javi demanded.
I shot him a dark look. He needed to stop being so hostile. We needed them on our side, and he was being an ass.
Gloria shrugged a shoulder. “I’m a witch. I felt the power of them as soon as you pulled them out in the restaurant.”
Shiloh opened her bag and pulled out the rocks. Behind us, the witches murmured excitedly. After placing them in a ring, Shiloh reached for her bag and pulled out a pen I assumed she’d swiped from Brady’s desk and an old shirt I recognized instantly as Grayson’s.
She flushed and met my eyes. “I got it from the laundry room. Since he hasn’t been able to pick up his load.”
“Just one at a time,” Gloria instructed.
My chest tightened as I started at the gray t-shirt. Grayson’s face flashed in my mind as he kept the fire from me. I could still feel the heat of the flames. His words rang in my ears.
You have to accept that I might not be coming back.
No. I couldn’t accept that. I wouldn’t. But what if it was already too late?
Pushing away the negative thoughts, I watched, skin crawling as the witches gathered around the couch and clasped hands. I scooted closer to my friends as the coven began chanting.
Gloria broke away from them and placed the jar on the couch next to the pen Shiloh had placed in the middle of the seeing stones. Her hands hovered above them, her eyes closed in concentration. Their chants grew louder, echoing around us.
The skeletal hand shook and clanked against the glass. An icy cold settled in the room, making me shiver. I stared at the jar in horror. The pupil was growing and shrinking in quick succession. Whatever they were doing was working. Shadows moved against the wall, and I could have sworn they were moving of their own accord. As if they weren’t true shadows at all, but their own… entities.
Javi had drawn his sword, and Shiloh’s hands were raised, ready to cast. And there I was hiding behind my friends like the pathetic loser that I was. Javi was right—I should have brought my own sword. I wasn’t as completely useless as I had been before.
