Bone Witch

by D. N. Hoxa

  “You try it and see how it feels.” I opened my palms. The seeds looked exactly the same. “See?”

  “No, thanks.” Julian shook his head. Of course he did. He wanted nothing to do with a fairy, no matter what he said.

  “Go ahead and close your eyes again. Give it a real try this time.” Amelia closed my fingers over the seeds for me.

  Frustrated as hell, I did as she asked. The inside of my head looked different that morning. When I closed my eyes, I didn’t hear the noise of thoughts running through my mind like I used to. Now, there was something else in there, too. Something like a shadow that begged to be explored.

  Tapping into my magic again, I was almost relieved to find it shining as brightly as the first time. I had the urge to try it out, to touch every inch of it with the fingers of my mind, but the fear wouldn’t let me. Greed was not something I felt very often, but now that I did, I tried to keep as far away from it as possible.

  Minutes later, I opened my eyes to see if the seeds had changed. They hadn’t. Amelia was still sitting by my side without making a sound. She was looking at Julian, who walked around the garden, looking at her plants. He really seemed like he knew what he was looking at.

  “I’m sorry. I did try,” I said to Amelia and offered her the seeds back. What I didn’t expect was for her to smile.

  “They’ve grown,” she whispered. “Can’t you feel them?”

  “No.” I didn’t want to.

  “This is good,” she said. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

  Before I could protest, she stood and walked fast to the end of the garden, and put the seeds right where she’d taken them from.

  “This is amazing,” Julian said as he walked towards me. With his clothes washed—but still torn in many places—he looked almost like the man I’d met in Inwood.

  “Why aren’t you working?” I asked instead. It was why we were there in the first place.

  “I am, believe it or not. I was up all night preparing for a test. It’s going on in the basement as we speak, but it won’t be over for a few more hours.”

  “Do you think it’ll come out positive?” I couldn’t help but feel hopeful. The sooner I had my strength, the sooner I could conjure a disguise—or better yet, alter my appearance altogether.

  “There’s really no way to tell until it’s over,” Julian said reluctantly.

  “If there is anything I can do to help…”

  “Maybe you can. Just not yet,” he said, half a smile playing on his lips. I hated how it made my stomach go crazy.

  “In the meantime, I guess we’re stuck in here,” I said just to say something and not think about the way he was looking at me. He just seemed so…interested—in a good way. I never did handle too much attention on me well, and now, it felt even worse as I tried to hide my ears with my hair.

  “It’s not so bad,” Julian said, chuckling. “What happened to your braid?”

  I raised a brow. Was he seriously asking me that? “I grew tired of it,” I said with a roll of my eyes. He either didn’t get it, or he pretended.

  “Too bad. It suited you.”

  He sat next to me on the bench. I immediately felt the heat coming off his body as if we were touching. All of a sudden, I wanted to braid my hair right then and there. So, so dangerous.

  “We should be talking about more important things than my hair.” And not only because it made me feel all hot and giggly.

  “I don’t think there’s anything more important than you right now.” When he turned to look at me, I could swear the color of his eyes moved like pouring liquid. It was amazing.

  My cheeks felt like they were on fire, but I didn’t look away. If he thought he had to say all this just to get me to keep my end of the deal, he needed to see how wrong he was.

  “Your tests are more important. My powers are more important.” The list could go on.

  “You never told me why you changed your mind. I mean, you’re already powerful. What you did with the Hentry seeds was better than okay, all things considered,” Julian said.

  That wasn’t something I wanted to talk to him about. I felt guilty for wanting to change how I looked, not to mention ashamed.

  “I want to help my aunt with the spell I told you about,” I said instead. I was good at lying—or used to be. Maybe I was a bit rusty now because I never felt so shitty for doing it before.

  “There’s probably going to be a lot of waiting the next few days. I can teach you a few things about reaching your magic’s full potential, if you’d like.”

  Surprised, I shook my head. “I already am at my full potential. In case you didn’t notice, I just got my powers from my mother.”

  “I don’t mean your witch magic. I mean your fairy magic.”

  If he didn’t realize how suspicious that sounded, he was a fool.

  “There is no fairy magic.” I was homeschooled and even I knew that much. Fairies got their magic from their realm, and the fairy realm was in a dimension we no longer connected to.

  “Of course there is fairy magic. It’s beyond anything you can imagine. An amazing thing,” he said in wonder.

  “Help me understand here—what is it about you and fairies? I’ve never heard even one person say a single good thing about them—and with reason.”

  “There’s nothing about me and fairies. I’ve just had access to information most didn’t,” Julian said. “Think about it: your magic comes from your bones. Mine comes from my blood only. Imagine if that magic came from an entire realm!”

  “Yeah, now imagine that that realm is closed.” Julian flinched. “What kind of information?”

  “What?” he said, surprised.

  “You said you had access to information that we don’t have. What kind of information?”

  Julian opened his mouth, but no word came out for a long time. His eyes wide, he looked at me like one looked right before they uttered a lie. My curiosity climbed to the highest levels as I watched him and waited. I was ready to kick him in the face if that got him to tell me what that information was. Being a fairy, I had the right to know whatever he thought he knew, didn’t I?

  But Julian never got to answer me.

  “She’s not going to do it,” Amelia called as she hurried towards us, apparently done with her seeds.

  “Who’s not going to do what?” I asked when she was in front of us, pale as a ghost.

  “Elena Harrison. I just spoke to her,” Amelia said and showed us her phone. “She said no.”

  “Why?” My aunt was talking about the reverse spell. My heart sank. If we didn’t have enough witches to help us, there was no point in even trying. “Did you tell her we’ll pay her?”

  “It’s Elena Harrison we’re talking about. She’s stinky rich. You can’t buy her,” Amelia hissed.

  “Isn’t there someone else we can call?” And by we I meant her.

  “No. She’s one of the strongest Bones of our coven. We will definitely need her.” With her hands on her hips, she kept shaking her head.

  “There must be something we can do to convince her,” I said, my voice shaking. It was in times like these that it sucked to not have people you could count on.

  “Impossible. She wants a Jordan’s Curse! Out of her mind,” Amelia mumbled.

  “What’s Jordan’s Curse?” asked Julian.

  “Ancient Bone magic. It’s a spell that binds two witches physically. Not exactly dark magic but very close. And very against the law,” I said reluctantly. For the life of me, I couldn’t tell you why anyone would want to bind themselves to another. If one witch got a fucking paper cut, the other would bleed, too. It made no sense.

  “It’s for her collection, I guarantee it,” Amelia hissed. “Greediest old witch I’ve ever seen, and she’s not even ashamed about it.

  “So why don’t you do it?” Julian said. “Make her a Jordan’s Curse. Can you?”

  Both Amelia and I just stared at him for a second. Did he not hear the very against the law part? />
  “Of course not,” Amelia said, offended. “There has never been any dark magic associated with our family before, and there never will be.”

  “I didn’t meant to insult your family,” Julian said. “But if you need the witch as much as you say you do, isn’t it worth a try?”

  Amelia’s jaw almost touched the ground. I, on the other hand, got to thinking about it.

  “Even if we knew how to stir something like that, if we even had the power—the ECU would be here in seconds. The spell is registered, and witches keep a very close eye on it,” said Amelia. She looked like she was about to start crying.

  “There’s a blood spell that was designed to escape the ECU’s spy spell. I can do it for you.”

  I turned to Julian again. He knew an awful lot of spells the ECU couldn’t track. Suddenly, I asked myself the question I should have asked in the very beginning: Who exactly was Julian Walker?

  “But we don’t have the recipe.” That wasn’t something you could just find in spell books. It was prohibited for a reason. A lot of damage could be done with a spell like that. People had used it to kill powerful witches in the past, steal from them, even make them go completely loony.

  “She has it,” Amelia whispered.

  “What?”

  “Elena. She has the recipe. She’s just too afraid to use it.”

  “And she should be,” I said, but strangely enough, I wasn’t. Why would I be? I had nothing left to lose. The ECU was already after me. They couldn’t want me dead twice.

  “I know someone who could help. Possibly the best in stirring spells in the States.”

  My eyes almost left my sockets as I looked at my aunt. She was seriously considering this?

  “No. Absolutely not. Forget it. If the ECU finds out, they’ll be knocking on your door before you know it.”

  “I can guarantee you that won’t happen because of the spell,” Julian said and for whatever reason, he was smiling. “I think you can do it.”

  I raised a brow in confusion. “I can do it?” Was he out of his mind?

  “I think you can, too. I’m already in enough danger as it is, hiding you two under my roof,” Amelia said, her eyes sparkling.

  “You’ve completely lost your mind! I do not want to use my magic for anything, let alone to stir a Jordan’s Curse.”

  “Think about it as practice,” Amelia continued as if I hadn’t said a damn thing. “The more magic you use, the more in control of it you’ll be.”

  “Did you not hear me?” Because I was pretty sure I already said I didn’t want to use my magic twice now.

  “I did hear you, but do you have a better idea?”

  Shit. She backed me right into a corner. “What about your friend? The best at stirring spells in the States? Why not let them do it?”

  “He’s the best at only the stirring part, not the actual magic.”

  “You can’t be serious,” I whispered when she looked at me with all that hope in her eyes.

  “What are you afraid of?”

  Excuse me? I turned to Julian, mad as hell already. Nobody had ever accused me of being afraid of something. Ever.

  “I’m not afraid of anything,” I lied. The truth was that I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to get rid of the magic that had turned me into a fairy.

  “Your aunt is right. You need the practice.”

  I opened my mouth to send him to hell, but he didn’t let me. “Just try it. You might surprise yourself.”

  “Yes, Winter. Try it.”

  I had no idea who Amelia Wayne was right now. Or maybe I’d had no idea before of who Amelia Wayne really was.

  Before I could even answer, she had the phone to her ear, no doubt calling her best-at-stirring-spells friend. Just like that, I’d lost the fight before it had even begun. Amelia and Julian both had made the decision for me, and there was nothing I could say about it. I was going to use my magic again.

  Sixteen

  It was obvious why Amelia hadn’t wasted a single second before calling the best-at-stirring-spells guy: she had a crush on him. His name was Jeb Hutchins, and he was a handsome witch, too. Dark skin, curly hair streaked with grey around his ears, large brown eyes—I could see why my aunt liked him.

  And when his eyes fell on my face, he actually flinched and leaned back—you can see why I didn’t like him. I hadn’t thought to wear Amelia’s hat because it was hard to remember how I looked being with her and Julian. They never even mentioned my transformation.

  “This is my niece, Winter,” Amelia said, her cheeks burning as she looked at Jeb through the corner of her eye.

  “Nice to meet you,” Jeb said.

  He was full of shit. I only nodded.

  “This is Julian. He’s a Bloodie,” she continued.

  Jeb didn’t flinch when he looked at Julian. Asshole.

  “Thanks for coming.” Julian didn’t look happy.

  “Anything at all for Ms. Amelia,” Jeb said, and my aunt almost fainted. I wondered if they had done it yet, or if they were going to soon.

  “You’re too kind,” Amelia said, her voice high-pitched. “I do appreciate this, Jeb, but before we go any further, I’d like your word that you will not discuss anything you’ve seen, heard or done in this house with anyone.”

  At least she was making things clear.

  “Absolutely,” Jeb said without missing a beat. “You have it.”

  Amelia grinned and showed him her phone. “And I have the recipe for a spell you’ve never stirred before.”

  “I’ve stirred most.” Jeb’s eyes sparkled as he looked at my aunt.

  “Even a Jordan’s Curse?”

  That left Jeb speechless for a long second. His hands shook as he took the phone from Amelia and read the recipe that Elena Harris had sent to us. Sweat beads showed on his forehead as he looked at the screen, motionless. Then, with a loud sigh, he looked up.

  “Let’s get started.”

  Stirring was the most boring thing related to magic. Ever. You had to be extremely precise with the ingredients—seriously, half a spoon too much or little could blow up your house—you had to know exactly how to move your spoon for every separate spell, and most spells had to be stirred for hours. I wasn’t patient enough to make my favorite pasta sauce, so that’s why stirring had never even crossed my mind. It was definitely something for other people, and there was no spell stirred that money couldn’t buy.

  Except spells like Jordan’s Curse.

  Jeb Hutchins was a happy little camper as he filled Amelia’s cauldron with water at the sink, then moved it to the stove. Amelia had already set plastic bags with all kinds of herbs, dust, petals, and stems on the counter. The only ingredient she didn’t have, she asked Jeb to bring with him.

  Julian was more interested in the process. He stood right by Jeb as he began to pour stuff in the cauldron, together with Amelia. I was content sitting in one of the only two chairs in the kitchen, far away from all the “action.”

  If I’d had anything better to do, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be stalking Julian like an enamored schoolgirl. Not one little move he made escaped my notice, and eventually, I could tell you about every inch of his body. He moved with a grace that belonged to a cat. When he looked at something, he invested his whole being into it. When he listened to you, it gave you the impression that every word you said meant the whole world to him.

  Fuck, I need a drink.

  “It’s going to be a while before you can chant the spell,” Jeb was saying to Amelia.

  “I won’t be chanting anything. Winter will.”

  Again, as if he’d been slapped by a large, imaginary hand, Jeb leaned back a bit before turning to look at me. Even if he’d tried, he couldn’t hide the hatred showing in his eyes. It sucked because he was the one thing that reminded me of who I was. What I was. I liked forgetting.

  Looking down at my fingers, I pretended I wasn’t listening to the conversation. It didn’t matter what Jeb had to say, anyway. This would all
be over soon, one way or another.

  “Walk with me.”

  The voice came from so close to me, I jumped to my feet, heart racing. Too caught up in feeling sorry about myself, I hadn’t even heard Julian approach the table.

  “What?”

  With a half smile on his lips, he nodded at the hallway. “Come walk with me in Amelia’s garden.”

  Being all alone with him again? Um… “Not a good idea. My aunt might need us.”

  “I won’t. It’s going to take a while for the stirring to be over,” she called from the other side of the counter. My eyes squeezed shut for a second. I should have known she’d want time alone with her lover-boy there.

  Reluctantly, I nodded. I made my way to the garden, Julian at my side.

  The sun was shining, and the sky was a bit clearer than it had been in the morning. It wouldn’t last long, but it felt good to feel even a bit of warmth on my skin. Sunshine made everything look better, so I took in my aunt’s garden from a new perspective. Every plant in there looked more alive, bathed in sunlight. It made me relax more than I thought.

  “Tell me something about you,” Julian said from behind me. “Tell me the most important thing about you.”

  I’d never been asked that question before. Never even asked it to myself. A strange question, exactly what you’d expect this Blood witch to make.

  “We’re not here to talk about us, Julian.” It was a lame attempt to avoid having to answer. Shivers washed down my back. What was the most important thing about me?

  “How else am I going to find out why you let lesser opinions get to you?”

  I turned to look at him, brows narrowed. “I don’t let anything get to me.” Except the fact that I was a fucking fairy.

  “Is lying the answer you’re giving me?” He grinned as if he had me.

  “Fighting,” I mumbled, a bit pissed off. Fighting really was the important thing in my life. It was my job—what I did best. Pretty much the only thing I felt confident doing.

  “So why don’t you?”

  Julian kneeled down on the concrete path to look at a plant with large green leaves full of dark red veins.

  “Why don’t I what?”

  “Fight.”

  He looked up at me, and his eyes looked a lot bluer now that the sunlight fell on his face.