The Complete Spellbound Trilogy Bundle

by Penelope King

  Normally when I came up here, I would go immediately to the Looking Stone hoping to find Nicholas. When that didn’t work, I’d collapse on the couch and study the Book of Shadows. But my failed attempts at Seeing always left me so drained, I was unable to focus very well on reading.

  But something Ana had said about Spirit Walkers, and how they could leave their body any time, not just when they were asleep, had given me an idea. If only I could find out how to actually do it, then maybe I could go look for Nicholas instead of sitting around waiting for him to find me. Maybe they were on the other side of the world or something, and he was sleeping while I was awake. Maybe that’s why we kept missing each other.

  I flipped through the pages, unsure where to start. Unfortunately, there was no table of contents. The book did appear to be somewhat in chronological order, but that didn’t help me much.

  An hour later I threw up my hands in frustration. There were spells in here for everything! Making crops grow, curing stomach pains, ridding one’s self of a nosy neighbor, causing an enemy to go blind…

  “Ugh! Stupid book! Can’t you just take me to the page for Spirit Walkers?!” I half-shouted, half-whined as I slammed it shut. I flopped back on the couch, ready to give up, and closed my eyes.

  But I immediately opened them again when I felt the book begin to vibrate against my legs. I watched in amazement as it gracefully fluttered open, turned a few pages by itself, and finally settled down quietly. In a fancy calligraphy script, the title of the page read ‘Advanced Beings.’ I leaned forward and scanned down a few sections until the phrase Spirit Walker jumped out in bold print:

  “A culmination of evolved spiritual enlightenment, a Spirit Walker straddles the worlds of light and dark with a supreme cognizance far surpassing most other Magical Beings. As a Spirit Walker, one possesses the highest level of cencertia and lacertus. The luna of Freya transfero vox noctournas….”

  I frowned in frustration. What did any of those words mean? I scanned further until I found a passage that appeared to be all in English, but nowhere did it make any mention of how to actually do the Spirit Walking.

  I sighed again and closed the Book. Maybe I wasn’t even a Spirit Walker in the first place. Maybe Nicholas and I had some other sort of psychic connection that enabled us to see into each other’s dreams. Whatever it was, it was pretty useless right now.

  *****

  Later that night after dinner I was relaxing in my room, half reading, half thinking about Nicholas, when Lily suddenly appeared at the foot of my bed.

  “Gah—you scared me!” I squeaked, so startled I dropped my book.

  “Sorry,” she said with a big smile. “I just had to show you. It happened, Calista. It finally happened!” She squealed, unable to contain her excitement.

  “What did?” She had my full attention. I’d never seen Lily so giddy before. Only giddy wasn’t the right word. She was glowing…bursting with pride and happiness.

  “I received my Rings today,” she said, her bright smile lighting up the room. She came over and sat next to me on the bed. She held out her hands and quickly ran her palms over the tops of her knuckles. Suddenly, her previously bare fingers showed five thin bands, each of a different color, sparkling under the light. She held them up for me to admire.

  My eyes widened. “Wow! Those are gorgeous. I had no idea they’d be so…pretty.” My heart swelled at the thought that one day I might be wearing these beautiful stones, too. How could one not feel like a magical princess with knuckles full of enchanted twinkling jewels?

  “It was so great,” she gushed. “Totally took me by surprise. Had no idea it was coming so soon. I thought it’d be a few more months at least. I just got back from a celebration dinner with my folks. My dad was so proud!”

  “What happened? How did you get them?” In awe, I lightly traced my finger over the delicate bands of precious gems.

  “I…uh…well,” Lily hesitated. “The whole thing is actually a secret,” she replied, a look of guilt on her face. “I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t. I’m only allowed to show you the Rings. But you’ll find out soon enough, I’m sure of it!” she added emphatically.

  I smiled. “That’s okay. I understand. Congratulations on getting them. I’m really happy for you.” I tried to muster up the proper enthusiasm for such a momentous occasion, but my glum mood from earlier was sapping any ability to feel genuine happiness.

  “Are you all right?” Lily looked at me closely.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Maybe just a little tired. So what does it mean now that you have your Rings? What can you tell me?” I leaned toward her and tried to appear more interested.

  She cocked her head to the side and brushed her hair behind her shoulders. “Well, what I’ve noticed so far is that before I shimmer somewhere, I can picture more clearly the place where I’m going to be arriving. Like right now, I knew you were sitting on your bed reading, and that your father was busy watching a movie in the other room. That’s why I didn’t contact you first.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “So, you turned more psychic or something?”

  Lily shrugged. “Dunno what you’d call it exactly. More like, I just knew. It sure will come in handy, and now I never have to worry about being caught! I can shimmer wherever I want, whenever I want.”

  “That’s very cool,” I agreed. “But next time, you still better announce yourself first unless you want me to have a heart attack,” I teased her.

  “Yeah, sorry about that. I was just really excited and wanted to tell you.”

  I patted her legs and realized that her happiness was actually making me happier. I gave her a genuine smile, my first one in days. “I’m glad you did. So, did anything else change?”

  She glanced away.

  “It’s okay if you can’t say anything,” I added.

  “No, no, that’s not it. I’m just trying to think what I can say without saying too much. I just think some things will just be enhanced—like the foresight in shimmering. I’ll just have to wait and see what else happens,” she said vaguely.

  “It’s fine, really—don’t worry about telling me something that will get you in trouble.” I didn’t mean to sound so abrupt, but despite Lily’s good news, I just couldn’t shake the dark gloom of the day. Suddenly, I felt like there were a lot of things that I wasn’t allowed to see or know, and it was starting to get under my skin.

  Lily frowned. “Callie, what is it? I know something is bothering you. Is it Justin and Nicholas, or is it something else?”

  Exasperated, I sighed and flopped back down on the bed, hugging my pillow to my chest. “Yes…no…I don’t know. I mean, the thing with Justin and Nicholas…of course I’m worried. Until they both come back safe and sound and Justin is healed, I’ll stress about it…Auughh!! I’m so sorry! I must sound like a broken record. I know it’s annoying to hear me constantly—”

  Lily gasped. “Annoying? Are you kidding? Sophie and I were just saying how amazing you have been through all this. If one of my closest friends tried to kill me, and the guy of my dreams suddenly went AWOL and I didn’t know if I was ever going to see him again, I’d be going out of my mind crazy!”

  “Well, I pretty much have been,” I admitted. “I try not to let it get to me…I try to do other things. But everything seems so silly, so inconsequential in comparison to getting Justin healed and having Nicholas come back to me! I hate that my life has come to a screeching halt over this, but what can I do? I can’t think about anything else.”

  Lily grasped my hand, her amber eyes filled with compassion. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been around to support you more. This has to be torture for you, and it’s so much harder on you because, well, you know…” She fingered the flower bracelet that Ana had given me when I first arrived here.

  I glanced at her, puzzled. “Because what?”

  “Because you’re an Empathion. And not only that, you have strong empath with both Justin and Nicholas. So of course your feelings
over this whole situation are going to be somewhat… intensified.”

  “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one,” I muttered. I gave a small chuckle. “Glad to know there’s an excuse for my insanity, though. I was starting to feel like someone had magically hijacked my brain or something.”

  “I’m so sorry I haven’t been here for you,” Lily repeated. “I’ve just been so busy with—”

  “Stop right there.” I held up my hand. “Do not apologize for having a life. My craziness is not your problem.”

  She squeezed my hand and gave me a tiny smile. “Yeah, Callie, actually it is. That’s what friends are for. That’s what sisters are for.”

  I sat up and gave her a hug. “Really, I’m okay,” I assured her as I pulled back. “I’m just frustrated right now. Everything will work out somehow. I know it will. But enough about me. Tell me what’s going on with you. I feel like I haven’t seen you all week.”

  “I know. I’ve just been so wrapped up in preparing for the pageant. It’s a pretty big production and my first solo in front of such a large audience. I just want everything to be perfect.” She bit the side of her lip nervously.

  “What’s it like? What are you doing?”

  She explained how she was performing six songs—four with the rest of the group, one as a soloist where she would be playing the piano as she sang, and one as part of a duet with a senior named Brian.

  “…And if he forgets the lyrics one more time I swear I will bind his tongue to the roof of his mouth for all of eternity!” She giggled, but I couldn’t help but think she might not be entirely joking, considering how serious she was about her music. Lily was a perfectionist, and it showed. She was by far the most talented singer I’d ever heard, and she played the piano like a prodigy. I’d be angry too if someone else ruined something I’d worked so hard on.

  “I’m sure everything will be perfect,” I told her sincerely. “You have the most amazing voice ever.” I grinned. “No one will be paying attention to him anyway.”

  “Thanks, Cal.”

  “What songs are you singing?”

  “Well, the duet with Brian is a Christmas song, and for the solo I haven’t decided between two different ones yet. But you’re coming right? It’s on Thursday night,” she reminded me for the umpteenth time.

  “Wait a minute, Thursday? I didn’t realize… That’s the night I have my underwater basket weaving class…so sorry …oof.” She whapped me with a pillow, and I laughed. “Of course I’m going. Me, my dad, Ana, Henri, Dee…we all have tickets in the front row next to your family and Sophie’s family. Roman and Brady are coming with us too.”

  Lily eyes were wide with excitement. “Wanna shimmer over to Sophie’s? They’re all going to bed soon, and we can sneak in her room unnoticed.” She flashed a devious grin.

  “I think I’ll pass. I’m actually pretty tired. Besides, she’s coming home the day after tomorrow, anyway.”

  “Okay…well, I’m gonna go real quick, just to show her my Rings. Gotta get home soon. Mom is making me this special tea that helps with keeping my throat fresh. Don’t wanna lose my voice before the big night.” She held up her hand and started to fade away.

  “Tell Sophie I said hi,” I called out to the wavering mist. “And congratulations!”

  Chapter 5. Fireworks

  Christmas at Ana’s was, like everything else in her world, magnificent and done to the extreme. No fewer than a dozen fifteen-foot-high, splendidly decorated Douglas fir trees were positioned throughout the manor, each one surrounded with huge piles of ornately wrapped packages. A smaller tree even appeared in our cottage while Dad and I slept…the first time I ever remember us having one. The entire mansion, inside and out, was adorned with tens of thousands of twinkling lights and what seemed like miles of green, gold, and red garlands. And to top it off, the entire lawn had been covered in a thick blanket of sparkling white powder.

  “Artificial snow from a machine,” Ana had explained to my father as we all took our places around the dinner table. “I so miss having a white Christmas, I decided to create my own.” She laughed merrily, but I saw the mischievous twinkle in her eye. The truth was, the only ‘snow machine’ involved was a spell and several helpful garden gnomes.

  My father shook his head in disbelief. “Ain’t never seen such a thing as fake snow before,” he’d mumbled under his breath.

  It was Christmas Eve, and we were having an early supper before heading off to the school for the annual Crystal Cove-Diamond Falls Holiday Pageant. I’d spoken to Lily earlier in the afternoon to wish her good luck. She was so nervous, I’d promised to bring her a batch of Ana’s special mellow-out tea.

  I gazed around the warmly lit dining room, filled with laughter and love. I admired how handsome my father looked in his new slacks and dinner jacket. He was a changed man since coming here to live at Ana’s…like he had a whole new lease on life. His coffee-brown eyes lit up when he laughed—which happened more frequently than ever before—and he was visibly less tense and stressed. He stood up straighter and walked with a spring in his step. Gone was the overwhelming sense of guilt and despair that had flooded over me so often when we were alone in the shack in Basile. It had been replaced with a humble sense of optimism, relief, and eternal gratitude.

  A tear came to my eye. What a miraculous difference a few short months had made! Despite the current drama with Justin and Nicholas, I’d never felt so thoroughly fortunate. I knew just how lucky I was…lucky beyond my wildest dreams. And I’d be eternally grateful to Ana, not only for making my dad so happy, but for bringing me here so I could meet so many amazing friends. It seemed impossible that until a few months ago, I didn’t even know Lily, Sophie, Nicholas, Justin, or even Ana. Now they were so close to me, I couldn’t even imagine my life without them. They were a permanent part of me...of my life, of my heart, of my soul. They’d changed who I was and who I would become. For so long it had just been Dad and me. And that had been enough. But now our little family had grown, and I’d never felt more blessed.

  After dinner we all piled into the back of Ana’s limousine and headed for the school. In one hand I held a thermos of piping hot, specially-prepared tea for Lily; in the other hand was a bouquet of fresh white roses I’d picked from the garden earlier that day. I had been hesitant to snip the perfect blooms, but Ana assured me they would grow back by tomorrow.

  I found Lily backstage and gave her the thermos, which she sipped as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. She was an extraordinarily beautiful girl…by far the prettiest in the school and probably the whole town. But I’d never seen her look this lovely before. Her long white gown contoured her slender figure and set off the rich glow of her smooth, tawny skin. Her ebony tresses were piled high in an elegant knot, and tiny hair clips sparkled in the lights. Long diamond strands hung from her lobes, and a diamond tennis bracelet circled her slender wrist. She looked like a glittering angel.

  “Yeah, an angel who is about to throw up,” she muttered when I complimented her.

  “Drink,” I commanded.

  When it was almost time for the show to begin, I took my seat between Sophie and my dad. The program was enchanting, and even Brian remembered all of his words. When the time came for Lily’s solo, the last song of the evening, she appeared looking like a beautiful ice princess, and showing no trace of her earlier nerves. All eyes were fixed on her as she glided across the stage and sat down in front of the white baby-grand piano.

  The lights in the room dimmed, as did the ones on the stage, and a soft glow from above shone down on Lily like a light from Heaven. The audience seemed to be holding its breath.

  Slowly she struck the keys on the piano, and the room was filled with a rich melody, powerful with emotion. She began to sing, and the haunting tune, combined with her crystalline voice, sent chills racing down my spine. The audience sat frozen, entranced. The song, not about Christmas, or even the holiday season, was…a love song. It was the sweetest, saddest, mo
st heart-wrenching and achingly beautiful song I had ever heard.

  Her voice rose and fell with perfect precision, and I felt as if the music was coming from everywhere at once— from above and below, from inside me and behind me. The blissful harmony simply consumed every ounce of my soul.

  By the time Lily hit her final note, tears were streaming down my face. For several moments the audience sat in stunned silence.

  Then they began to clap. The thunderous applause shook the entire room for several minutes. I glanced over at her boyfriend Roman, who was looking at Lily with utter astonishment. Even Dad had unshed tears in his eyes.

  “I had no idea that girl had that voice,” he whispered to me. “She’s better than any professional I ever did hear.”

  I had to agree. Although I’d heard her sing plenty of times before, her voice had never sounded as beautiful as it had tonight. Ethereal…delicate. But strong at the same time. A voice that could put real angels to shame. It sounded and felt…magical.

  Lily gracefully bowed several times to an onslaught of whistles and shouts of “encore!” Bouquets of flowers and single-stem roses were thrown on the stage at her feet, and as she scooped them up, she blew a final kiss in our direction. The whole room continued to cheer wildly.

  After Lily had left the stage, I turned to talk to Sophie and noticed that everyone around us was hugging. At first I thought it was just a few people saying good bye and wishing a merry Christmas, but then I saw that the entire room seemed to be doing it. When Savannah Banyan came over and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, I knew something was definitely up.

  The bizarre outpouring of affection went on for some time, yet no one appeared to find it strange…as if people behaved like this all the time. After I had exchanged loving hugs with everyone within reach, Ana wrapped me in a warm embrace.