by R L Medina
Try as I could to stay awake, my body and mind were too exhausted to fight sleep any longer. My dreams were a nice escape from my current situation. I saw happier memories play out. Me and Papi working in our vineyard. Me with my friends at school, laughing at some stupid thing that happened in class.
A twinge of sorrow filled me. Even asleep, my subconsciousness knew that life was gone. My reality was a nightmare complete with evil witches and monsters I could never have imagined.
There was no going back to the happy life before. That had been the fairytale life I realized now.
Jealousy spread through me. The ordinaire dreamed of fantasy and adventure, but they had no idea that their boring, relatively safe lives were so much better. At least they only had other humans to fear and not supernatural beings. Magical beings. Evil witches.
Light shone on me, making me squint. I blinked, trying to orient myself. The afternoon sun rays poured in through the one window. My neck and back were stiff as I attempted to sit up. A sharp pain went through my ankle.
I looked down to find myself chained to the floor. My head snapped around, but there was no one there. The witches were gone.
Excitement filled me. Now was my chance to escape. I ran through every spell and chant I could think of, hoping my ring was strong enough to work.
A dark realization struck me. My sword was gone, but not my ring. Maybe they couldn’t break my conduit’s safeguard spell that kept anyone except myself from removing the metal?
My head throbbed as I tried to wrack my brain for a helpful spell or chant. Angry tears threatened to spill out. Once again, I was left defenseless. Hopeless and useless while the witches waged war on everyone I loved.
There had to be a way to stop them, but how? I was just one person and the only magic I could do was healing. An idea sparked. Could I try a reversal spell to unlock my chains? Was that even a thing?
I forced myself to focus on the metal, envisioning the steps they’d taken to lock me in. Nothing happened.
A growl of frustration escaped me. I needed to get myself out. No one knew where I was, and I didn’t doubt for a second that the witches hadn’t set up a barrier around me to keep my friends from locating me. My stomach churned. I didn’t even know if they were okay. Javi and my family. Shiloh, Brady, James, and Ash. And Grayson, who was still being held hostage as far as I knew.
I yanked on my chain and yelled at the top of my lungs. I didn’t expect anyone to hear me, but it felt good to vent my anger.
Before I could let out another torrent of rage, the door burst open. I spun to find a group of witches entering, dragging a familiar, but limp body between them.
My eyes widened. “What did you do to her?”
They ignored me and pushed her forward. She opened her eyes, looking disoriented.
“Jesse!” I called.
Her blue eyes met mine, her face lighting up in recognition before a frown replaced her joy. “Rosita? I thought you got away.”
I gave her a grim smile. “I thought so too.”
One of the witches gave the larger woman a hard shove, making her stumble forward.
“What happened, Jesse? I thought you…”
“Were dead?” she asked.
A shudder ran through me.
“I’m still dying, but I’ve got a few years left, I think.” Her sad smile filled me with anguish.
It wasn’t fair that she and Ash suffered while the bad guys walked free, no care in the world. I scowled at the younger witches who’d brought her in. Why did they think what they were doing was okay? My eyes scanned their unfamiliar faces for Gloria. A bitter taste hit my tongue at the thought of her and her betrayal. Did she go back to the academy? Was she there now with my friends and family pretending to not know where I was or what happened to me. Pretending to be concerned. My fists curled.
Tyler. I gasped as I remembered the scene. He was the last person to see me—see me with Gloria. He could tell the others, but would he?
My heart sank. Tyler of all people was my only hope of being rescued? Another thought struck me. What if Tío was still tracking me?
“Rosita?” Jesse’s concerned voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I turned to the older witch. She sat against the wall, looking tired and worn.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
A smile spread on her face. “I was going to ask you that.”
Coughs wracked her body. Despite her feverish look, disheveled blonde hair, and dirt smudged, tattered dress, there was a sharpness in her blue eyes, a sign that she hadn’t given up yet. It brought me comfort and hope. If she could endure what she had and not lose her will to live, then it wasn’t too late for me either.
I moved toward her, limited by the shackle on my foot. “What can I do? Can I do anything to help you?”
One of the witches scoffed. I shot him a glare. He and the others were setting up candles and rewriting some of the symbols with chalk. Getting ready for a spell? My stomach clenched with dread.
“I heard the others talking about you. That you discovered your affinity for earth magic. Is that true?”
“I guess so. I can heal myself, but I don’t know how that will help us. Would it help you with your… sickness?”
Her full lips spread in a smile. “I think it’s too late to try a reversal spell on what I’ve done, but it’s not too late to stop Jimena.”
My mouth dropped open. “What do you mean?”
“I think I have a way we could do it. But it might be a long shot.” Her head cocked at me. “How strong is your healing power?”
“I don’t really know. I don’t think I can even try right now. My conduit isn’t working.”
Her eyebrow arched. “You might be able to,” she glanced at the other witches, “if they stop their blocking spell.”
The young witch snorted. “Are you crazy? Jimena will kill us.”
Another witch shot us a pitying look. “What harm could it do? It’s just a healing spell. I feel bad for Jesse.”
“Better her than us.”
I glared at her callousness. So much for coven loyalty.
“It will only be for a moment,” Jesse pleaded.
The witches glanced at each other and sighed. I watched as they chanted and flicked their wrists at us in unison.
“Thank you.” Jesse smiled at them.
I gaped at her. They mistreated her, holding her captive and yet here she was thanking them? I would have blasted them all. If I actually knew how to blast them with magic. My mind drifted t Brady and the others. Had they made it out okay?
“What’s wrong?” Jesse asked.
My eyes met hers. “The school and my tío’s home. Do you know what happened? Is everyone okay?”
A grim look passed on her face. “I don’t know.” She glanced expectantly at the others.
They ignored us, continuing whatever it was they were doing.
Jesse turned to me. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon. The only thing we can do now is wait. And prepare.”
Trying to stay positive, I nodded in agreement to her.
“Now, hold out your hands like this.” She put her hands palm up to show me.
I followed along.
“Good. Now, I want you to close your eyes and tune out all distractions.” Her voice was soft and soothing and a far cry from Cassiano’s usual irritated tone.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” I fought the urge to open my eyes.
“No, but there’s no harm in trying, right?”
I grunted. “I guess.”
“If earth magic is your affinity, then it shouldn’t take much to connect with it. Draw on the resources you have here. You should feel a pull.”
Her words rang in my ear. What was she talking about resources? Like dirt and stuff? My nose itched. I wrinkled it, trying not to move my hands to scratch.
“You can do this, Rosita. Concentrate.”
Hearing my birth name on her lips startled me. For some
reason, it didn’t bother me to hear her say it though it did bring up memories.
I was with Papi. Running wild outside. He was chasing me, and I was grinning from ear to ear, giggling. In my memory, I was only a little younger than my twin cousins. Papi’s laughter echoed around me and my heart twisted. I wanted to see his face, but the memory pulled me forward. I stumbled over my own feet and fell hands first against a sharp rock, crying immediately. Blood poured from my palm.
There was Papi pulling me into his arms and holding out my arm to examine my cut. It was gone. The blood vanished. My hand completely healed.
The memory faded away before I could stop it. My heavy pants filled my ears. Why hadn’t I recalled that memory before? I swallowed the lump in my throat.
My magic had always been there. Tears streamed down my face. I blinked them away as quickly as I could.
“Rosita?” Jesse’s gentle voice called.
I opened my eyes and met her gaze. “I don’t understand. Why did my magic work then and stop only to start again now?”
“You saw your past?”
I nodded, blushing as I realized, I wasn’t making any sense.
Her eyes searched mine. “If your sight and magic ability manifested when you were younger, your mom probably had to stifle it somehow.”
“But she died when I was just a little kid.”
Jesse frowned. “The spell would have still held if it were connected to a living guardian. Your dad, maybe?”
Realization filled me. “I think you’re right. Because it all started again after he died. But not the healing… that’s new.”
“It probably took longer to come back. Your connection to magic.”
A numbness filled me. I didn’t know what it all meant and the idea that I could do things I’d seen the GRIMM, or the witches do, was terrifying… and exciting.
Is this what everyone else felt when they cast or performed a spell? It was something that set us apart from the ordinaire, they would never be able to experience what we did. In that way, Javi was right, that I could never be ‘normal’ again and it was time to accept that.
“Are you alright?” Jesse eyed me with a furrowed brow.
I flushed at her concern and nodded. “Yes. I guess I’m just coming to terms with this whole magic thing.”
She smiled. “It is a lot to wrap your head around. Should we try connecting now?”
Closing my eyes, I nodded, excited and nervous to try it again. I tried to tune out the voices drifting around us and not worry about what the witches were up to now. Whatever they were planning it wasn’t like I could stop them, anyway. But maybe if Jesse could help me get a better grapple on my healing ability…
“Do you feel the pull yet?” Her gentle voice made me jump.
My cheeks flamed. I really needed to be a better student. Pushing away the dark thoughts, I tried to shift my mind on the task at hand.
A pull. Was it like a physical pull or did she mean it in the hypothetical sense? Ignoring my itchy skin, I raised my hands palms up and searched for some kind of sign.
There. I felt it. It was hard to explain, but it felt as if invisible string was connected to the tips of my fingers and it was pulling me toward… something. I followed it, pushing away all other distractions.
“Did you make the connection?” Jesse’s voice sounded far away.
I opened my eyes to meet her gaze. “I think so.”
She smiled. “Good. Now a reversal spell.”
Reversal spell. I’d heard that term so many times and seen it done by others, but I still didn’t feel confident to pull it off. Up until then, I’d only accidentally cast it and without chanting too. How did that even work?
“I don’t know how to do this.” I flushed at her expectant look.
My eyes darted across the room to find that the other witches were gone. It was just me and Jesse now. My pulse quickened. If we could find a way to escape, or send someone a message, maybe we could get back to the others.
“Focus on the lock. A reversal spell can vary depending on the elements and circumstance. But they all follow the similar pattern. First, picture your target and only your target. Keep your mind clear of distractions.”
Sweat gathered on my palms. I knew the idea behind it, but the actual casting and holding the spell were the parts that I struggled with.
“Ready?” Jesse held her palms up again.
I followed. “Okay.”
“Close your eyes if you need to,” she instructed.
Doing what she said, I tried to picture the lock in my mind.
“Now, examine the lock first. I want you to separate all the elements that went into the locking spell. Start with one thing at a time.”
I attempted to do dissect the jumble before me. The pull of the earth magic was there along with other elements. Things I couldn’t recognize or name, but knew I’d seen them before in class or in watching others cast spells. Separating them from each other was an overwhelming task. Sweat dripped from my brow and the urge to wipe it and scratch my itchy nose was strong.
The different spell elements appeared as strings in my mind. All of them braided together and picking the threads apart made my head throb with pain.
“Here, I’ll help you.” Jesse came to my rescue.
I watched as some of the strings unraveled in my mind. Following her direction, I grabbed a hold of the pieces in my mind and started separating them. The strings morphed into strange shapes.
“What is it doing?” My question echoed around us and rang in my ears.
“We’re seeing the elements in their true form. That is iron magic. That is a holding spell and those are the words the witches chanted to bind them.”
Her explanation only confused me more. They all looked the same to me, just slightly different shaped blobs floating in my mind. Is this how the other GRIMM saw spells in their mind too?
“Now that you can see the steps that went into locking it. Reverse it. Start with the last step and backtrack.”
The last step? How was I supposed to know which one that was? I ignored the pounding in my head and tried to focus on the strange shapes in front of me.
I reached for the one closest to me, but it vanished. The others followed. My eyes flew open and met Jimena’s.
Her eyes narrowed on me and darted to Jesse. “A little magic lesson?”
She scoffed. “Lesson is over.”
With a slow sweep of her hand, she severed my connection. I gasped in pain as I lost the pull. No!
19
A giant block replaced the pull I’d felt, making my head hurt even more. Rubbing my forehead, I tried to get past the pain.
My heart sank as I met her stare.
The supreme smiled at me. “Don’t tell me you’ve had all this time to practice at your academy and you still haven’t mastered a simple reversal spell.”
I shot her a glare. “Being kidnapped by you has kind of put the brakes on my learning.”
Her lips quirked. “But it has no effect on your attitude, I see.”
Biting back the words I wanted to say, I tried a different tactic. “What happened to my family? My friends? Tell me what’s going on.”
“What is there to tell? The GRIMM are no match for me. I don’t know about your family or friends. They’re not important to me. But I’m sure if they haven’t fallen yet, they will eventually.” She shrugged as if it was a fact, I should have known.
An icy tendril of fear snaked through me. What if I was already too late to help them?
The supreme continued, “What did you expect? I’ve been working for years. Planting soldiers. Growing our army.” She smiled. “Our roots run too deep and spread too far to be pulled.”
“You been working hard on those slogans, huh?”
Her smile never wavered. “You are just like your mother. Trying to be so tough. You think you can hide your fear, but I see the truth. You know you’ve already lost. Just like her. Just like the GRIMM.”
; I glared at her. She was right and I hated that.
“Then just let me go. You don’t need me anymore or Jesse. Why keep us here?”
“Do you know how much time and energy I wasted on hunting you?” The supreme walked toward us.
“You were Rosa’s daughter after all. I thought you would be something special. So did your mom. We all did. And we were wrong.”
“Leave her alone, Jimena.” Jesse struggled to her feet.
The supreme glanced at her and scoffed. “You think her healing magic is something special? There are a million healers. Earth magic,” she shook her head and glared at me, “is useless in your hand.”
“Then why keep me if I’m so useless? Let me go.”
She laughed harshly. “So, you can run back to the GRIMM? Just like your mom. No, I think I’ll hold onto you for a little while yet. If your family thinks you so special, then maybe you’ll come in handy.”
“Handy for what? You going to ransom me? Like you said, I’m not important. The GRIMMs don’t care what you do with me. They’re going to come after you and destroy you and your minions. No matter what happens to me.”
Jesse stood between us now, her presence giving me strength. At least I wouldn’t have to die alone. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“What you’ve done to yourself, Jimena. It can still be reversed. With a reversal spell—”
The supreme’s hand shot toward Jesse, cutting her off. Jesse’s mouth snapped shut, her eyes turned murderous.
“You can’t even reverse what you’ve done to yourself trying to wield magic with no conduit, Jesse. You couldn’t stop me before and you can’t stop me now. I would kill you and put you out of your misery, if it weren’t so satisfying to see you fail at stopping me again and again.”
She waved her hand, making Jesse stumble back with her magic.
“Leave her alone.” I tried to stop her, but the chain bit into my ankle, holding me in place.
The supreme turned to me. “It’s a good thing I killed your mother when I did. And your father. They were fighters and they would be so ashamed of you.”
Her words burned through me. “Yeah, and I’m sure your parents would be thrilled at the psychopathic, murdering bitch you turned out to be.”
