by Weil, J. L.
“Bingo. That and the fact that I stumbled into Lukas in real life,” I added.
“Boys. They can be so irrational. Boy witches – worse. What does this Lukas mean to you?” She was totally loving this.
I shrugged. “I don’t really know. I always thought he was just a figment of my imagination. Now that he is not, I don’t know what to do about him.”
“Being a witch has its advantages. There is a spell for everything. If you really want to know where your heart lies, it’s simple magic.”
Her advice sucked. “Simple magic huh? It just so happens that I am not that educated in simple magic.” I picked at the chipping paint on the bench arm.
She tsked her tongue. “We’re going to have to change that.” The smile she aimed my way reminded me of the Cheshire cat.
Suddenly, I had an overabundance of teachers. For seventeen years witches were something only in fantasy books for me. Then in a just a few short months I found myself surrounded by the real deal.
But could they all be trusted?
Chapter 7
I WOKE UP MONDAY MORNING before my alarm with a mother of all headaches. The icing on the cake, dark circles under my eyes. I felt like I’d been sucker punched. This dreamscaping stuff sucked. It took the regenerating energy my body needed from sleep. It was like being up all night partying and waking up with one killer hangover.
Not that I would know how that feels, but I figured this was pretty darn close.
Forcing myself to sit up, I waited for my head to stop spinning. God, I thought it was going to split open. I needed drugs. Strong ones.
Stumbling to the bathroom, black dots swirled behind my eyes. I braced my hands on the sink and took long deep breaths, praying the pain would subside for just a moment. Filling a glass with water, I downed two aspirins. Now I just had to wait for the relief to kick in and standing wasn’t helping.
Crawling back under the covers, I threw them over my head hiding the sunlight that began to stream through the widows. The darkness didn’t seem to aggravate the pain as much, though it was only a matter of time before my alarm started buzzing in my ear.
Or Lunar purring.
No sooner had I pulled the covers over my head did Lunar poke under them snuggling against my neck. I groaned. His incessant purring was normally comforting. Today it was driving me absolutely nutty.
“Lunar hush,” I muttered.
Luckily for me he was a lazy kitty. Before long his purring stopped and he was fast asleep. I on the other hand, was counting the beating throbs drumming at my temples.
By the time my alarm finally rang, I was semi-functional again. The pills had worked a little magic of their own. There was still a dull ache but nothing compared to earlier. Now that the pain had mostly subsided the events of yesterday came rushing back. The headache might be gone but the hole in my heart was still there.
How was I going to face him?
What did I say to him?
All I knew was I needed to talk to him. I needed to tell him about the dream last night. That wasn’t an ordinary dream, but what she said… was it true? One thing I was certain, Gavin would know. Now all I had to do was figure out how I was going to get him to give me the light of day.
Passing my reflection in my mirror, I gasped. What I really needed was to learn some beauty spells for sprucing or at least something so I didn’t look like death. At this point I was beyond helpless. I made a metal note to ask Sophie to teach me and grabbed my bag off the floor. She never looked like crap.
Then my gaze past over the circular hole beside my door, and my heart cracked all over again like the plaster on the floor. Damn. I was going to have to do something about that after school before my aunt saw it.
Dragging ass, I arrived at school knowing that this was going to be a hellish day. I wasn’t sure I had it in me to see the condemnation in Gavin’s eyes, especially while not in my best form. Even on a good day that would have been difficult.
Sliding behind my desk in first period I wished I had thought to wear sunglasses, something to hide my bloodshot eyes. Austin sat down at the desk to my right looking swag and cheerful, everything I wasn’t. It made me grumpier than I already was. I hated him.
Well, not really. Didn’t the world know I was dying inside?
He gave me a once over. Keeping his voice low he asked, “What were you and dreamy doing last night? You look like crap-balls.” Leave it to Austin to be brutally honest and point out the obvious. Not to mention, kick me when I was feeling down.
“Not everyone can look like a diva all the time,” I snapped.
“Ouch. Touchy and bitchy. Well aren’t you just a bowl of sunshine this morning. Did you forget your Wheaties?”
I gave him a droll look, but he was right. It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t need me taking it on him either. “Sorry,” I sighed. “Gavin and I had a fight.”
“Oh I see. The first official fight. Was it that bad?”
“The pits,” I said tapping my pencil on the desktop.
He pushed his chic glasses back in place, edging to the end of his seat. “I am just having a hard time imagining lover boy mad at you.”
I propped my chin on my hands. “Believe it.”
His eyes zeroed in on my face. “I don’t like knowing that my friend cried herself to sleep last night without calling me.” His eyes were brimming with worry. It was nice having friends that cared.
I started playing with my pencil just for something to do. “I was a sticky, hot mess. I just needed to be alone and wallow in my tears.”
“Well the heavens must have felt your misery. It poured all night. A scary ass storm.”
The pencil I’d been twirling fell out of my hand and shot across the aisle smacking Dominic Jones in the back. Just peachy. Little did Austin know, that scary ass storm had been me.
An aggravated Dominic turned around and glared my way. “Sorry,” I mouthed.
Austin stared at me with sympathy and looked to be contemplating whether I needed an intervention.
By the time chem came around, I was fidgeting in my chair like a two-year old pumped on sugar. Prior to third period I had been anxious to see him. Time flew by. My stomach turned and I was plagued with questions.
Was he still mad at me?
Would he even talk to me?
Look at me?
None of it mattered, the seat beside me stayed empty like my heart. I felt hollow inside knowing Gavin hadn’t shown up for class. I guess I had my answer.
He was furious. He was hurt. Sneaking a peek at my cell phone revealed he was also not responding to any of my messages.
Rejection stung like a dagger. The remaining of the class was a blurry muddle. I comprehended nothing and time stopped. A part of me wished that I had stayed at home. The only reason I had dragged my scrawny butt from bed was that maybe, just maybe I would get the chance to try and make amends.
That was crushed to dust.
By lunch I knew I wasn’t fit for company, just as I knew Gavin had never bother to come to school today. I wanted to hide away and lick my wounds. I couldn’t deal with the crowded chaos of the lunchroom. Or the questions. Austin and Tori would be full of them, though I knew they were only truly trying to be a friend.
So, I went to the one place I could be utterly alone. The library. At this time of day the library was vacant. Ours was small and hardly anyone ever ventured down that way when there was greasy pizza on the menu.
Sophie found me hidden in a corner surrounded by the wonderful smell of dusty books. It was a relaxing smell. The room was quiet and deserted, just the way I wanted it. I knew it was her without ever looking up. The tingle of magical presence fringed down my spine.
I was afraid to look at her. Afraid she would be angry at me. There was only so much I could take.
“Everyone is wondering where you are,” she said. Her voice was lyrical like a song and there wasn’t any criticism that I could hear. Everyone really meant just Tori and Austin.
I risked a glance up into her enchanting blue eyes. “Did Gavin tell you?”
She shook her head looking puzzled. “Tell me what?”
Awkward. Crap. Me and my big mouth.
“What is going on? Why are you in the library instead of sitting with us? And why is my brother skipping school? Something is fishy and one of you better fess up.” She put her hands on her hips, waiting. Her floral skirt swished with her movements.
Thank goodness there wasn’t anybody here to overhear what I had to say. They wouldn’t have believed it anyway. “Is he okay?”
“Define okay. All I know is that my brother came home moody. I assumed the two of you had a disagreement or that my brother was just being a jerkwad. It really isn’t that uncommon you know.”
Those troublesome tears welled in my eyes. I did that. I caused him pain. “I’m sorry Sophie. I never meant to hurt him.”
She sat next to me and wrapped her arms around me. “Hey. Don’t cry. My brother’s an ass. Whatever he’s done, he doesn’t deserve your tears.”
That only made it worse. She had it all wrong. The roof of the library pattered with the heavy drops of rain. A strike of lightning lit the darkened sky, flashing across the floor. There I go again. I really needed to learn to get a grip on my magic – it was out of control. And a nuisance.
She looked outside the library windows. “Wow. You’re like a walking weathervane.”
I laughed on a sob.
“You ready to tell me what’s got you so upset? I promise not to be biased.” She smiled gently at me, her dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail. “He might be my brother, but you’re my friend too. And I hate that the two of you are having a tiff.”
A tiff was putting it mildly.
The guilt wasn’t any less when I told Sophie. I felt like I had betrayed one of my best friends, though I had to give her props. She handled it a thousand times better than Gavin, and she kept her promise. She didn’t condemn me on the spot and looked at it from a less emotionally involved perceptive.
I needed that.
“Wow. I wasn’t exactly expecting that. There is more going on here, I can feel it. Did you wonder why he never told you what you were?” she asked about Lukas.
Sniffling, I wiped my nose with the back of my sleeve. “He said that he didn’t think I would believe him. And he was probably right.”
“But you believed Gavin,” she countered.
“That’s true but he wasn’t what I thought of as a figment of my dreams. I didn’t think Lukas was real,” I defended.
“Do you trust him?” she asked.
At one time I would have answered the question without hesitation, but I didn’t know then what trust really was. Since meeting Gavin I can say I trusted him inexplicitly. But you hadn’t trusted him to tell him about Lukas, nagged a voice in the back of my subconscious.
My subconscious lately was a real downer.
“I don’t know.” I finally admitted.
Her feet swung under the table. “Do you trust my brother?”
“Of course,” I answered immediately. Didn’t that speak volumes? “Sophie can you just let him know that I’m sorry. More sorry than he will ever know.”
“You know that he is just jealous. Once he realizes that you are interested in only him, he’ll come around,” she assured.
My eyes must have deceived me as I didn’t jump to agree. Truthfully, I was an emotional wreck. I nodded meekly.
She lightly nudged me. “Give him a little space. He’ll miss you in no time. I guarantee it. He won’t give up that easily.” She was a better friend than I deserved.
If the roles had been reversed, I would have probably lost my temper and struck something with a bolt of lightning. “I hope so,” I said, sounding not nearly as convinced she was. It turned out that Sophie might have underestimated his anger.
I didn’t see Gavin once all week. His absence left a gaping hole in my heart. He filled such a huge part of my life that I never knew was empty.
I missed him miserably.
And I desperately wanted to tell him about Morgana possibly being my great (however many greats) grandma.
Chapter 8
THIS WAS MY WEEKEND OFF from the shop. It was also the first day I was going to practice magic with Lukas. That just sounded odd. Would I ever get used to him being real? Better yet, would I ever get used to using magic?
It was still foreign to me, this whole wielding magic. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive. The fact that we were meeting at my house didn’t help the spasmodic butterflies in my stomach.
I missed the fireflies. They were so much more warm and exciting. Not this crazy, irrational fluttering in the pit of my belly. I could probably account for more than half of it due to the fact that I still hadn’t talked to Gavin. He was evading me like the bubonic plaque.
Lunar and I both jumped at the sound of the doorbell. Taking a deep breath, I stood from the couch hugging Lunar in my arms. He was like a security blanket, giving me strength. You want this, I reminded myself. That I did. I definitely wanted to learn to control this gift, but I didn’t realize all the people who would be involved, or the hurt I would cause.
Magic comes with a price. Well so does keeping the truth. I always was a sucky liar.
Opening the door, I was greeted by a smile that would put sunshine to shame. His dimples winked on either side of his cheeks, and his emerald eyes sparkled. He had a day’s stubble on his otherwise clean shaven face. It made him look sexier, and that was the last thing I needed or expected.
He had both hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. “Hey,” he said rocking back on his heels.
Oh lord. I was in trouble.
His grin spoke volumes. Maybe I could steal some of his happiness. “Hey,” I replied. Lunar wiggled in my arms.
“Who is this little guy?” He reached out to scratch the top of Lunar’s black head.
Lunar was having none of it. He hissed in my arms extending his claws on all four paws. The sharp tiny nails dug into my arm as I squeaked in protest before putting the little booger on the floor. He promptly ran from the room. “That was trouble,” I said staring in the direction he had taken off.
I moved aside letting him in the house. He brushed past me, and I felt the surge of magic. Tendrils of energy gathered at my fingertips. Apparently, I was more ready to do magic than I thought, well at least a deep part of me was. If there was one thing I was learning, it was that magic couldn’t be ignored.
“Nice house,” he commented, not taking his eyes off me.
Feeling more confident with the tingles coursing through my veins, I suddenly didn’t feel like myself. “Should I give you a tour?”
A mischievous gleam came into his Irish eyes. “I’ve already seen your room.”
My cheeks instantly flushed.
Oookay, that wasn’t awkward much.
“Right,” I replied more than a little embarrassed. Clearing my throat through the tension I asked, “So what are you studying?”
His lips curled. “Can you believe I haven’t declared a major yet?”
“Are you kidding? I am the queen of indecision lately.”
He chuckled.
I walked into the family room, fumbling with my hands. “So umm, how did you want to do this?”
He stood in front of me so I had to bend my neck to see his face. “Tell me what you can do?”
That was easy. “Pretty much nothing.”
He wasn’t put off very easily. “Good, a clean slate.”
That was one way of looking at it. His optimism was staggering considering who he was teaching. He must have seen the doubt in my eyes. It was evident how much self-confidence I lacked.
“Come on,” he encouraged smiling. “Let’s see what you got.”
I looked at him blankly.
“Can you tap into the center of your energy?” he asked after he finally realized I wasn’t doing anything.
That was about the
only thing I could do and had practiced. I was more aware of the tingles flowing in my veins. I might not be able to always control it, but at least now I recognized it for what it was.
Magic.
I nodded. “I can almost always find it now. It’s more of knowing what to do with it.”
“Command it.”
He made it sound so simple, like riding a bike. “Easier said than done.”
“It is,” he promised. “Once you know what you are doing. One of the first things I learned was levitation. Want to give it a go?”
“Why not,” I said dryly.
He scanned around the room, looking for what I assumed was something safe to levitate. His gaze landed on an item sitting on the fireplace mantel. Walking in front of the stone hearth, he said. “This will work.”
The item of choice was an antique glass vase. I let out a loud gasp as he plucked it off the mantel. It had been part of the house since before my grandma had lived here. No doubt it was a priceless family heirloom, and I wasn’t about to play Jeanie in a bottle with it. “You’ve lost your mind. My aunt would kill me if I broke that.”
“That’s the point. It is better if the item has importance. That way there is less a chance of you fumbling the spell.”
His logic sounded like utter BS to me, especially if I failed. The odds of his theory working on me were probably one in a gazillion. I had a bad feeling about this and it sat unsettled in the bottom of my stomach. Mostly it was just my nerves. I wanted so bad to be able to control this so called gift, and I was tired of the outbursts.
“You better not be wrong about this,” I warned him, narrowing my eyes to slivers.
He hardly bated an eye at my not so sunny disposition. “Trust me.”
Trust him. The words echoed in my head. Then there was that. Trust. How much did I really trust him? At one time I would have said indubitably. Now, I wasn’t so… confident in that trust. My world was like a bowl of mashed up potatoes.
“Fine,” I agreed, shoving my hands in my pocket. “The vase it is, but I am totally holding you responsible if anything happens to it.”
“Deal.”
