I shook my head and chuckled. “How do you do this?” I murmured in wonder, as two doves flew overhead.
She smiled as we headed down the winding dirt path. “It’s what I do. What most of us here do. We simply create the reality we desire. We are our own game-masters.”
“But it’s not real, is it?”
She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Real is a term used very lightly around here. Real is oftentimes subjective. What may be real for you is false for me and vice-versa. After all, what is real…really?”
“But those birds…these trees…they weren’t here a few seconds ago. They aren’t real.”
She smiled again. “But you can see them, right? You can feel them? You experience them as being real…so what more do you need?”
We walked a few moments in silence as I considered what she had said. It made sense, in a totally mind-warping kind of way. And this was the magical world, after all. When would I learn not to try to logically rationalize every little thing?
“What’s the la longa, or whatever you called it, spell?” I asked.
“The ligo lingua spell. A tongue-tying spell. Very simple. When a witch doesn’t want a human, or even another witch to reveal something, the ligo lingua spell ensures the secret is kept.”
I frowned. “How so?”
“It turns the recipient’s words into gibberish if he or she ever tries to reveal the secret. If they try to write the words instead of speak them, all that appears is scribbles and nonsense.”
“And everyone knows about this?” I asked dubiously. It seemed a whole lot easier than attempting a magical lobotomy, and I wondered why no one had mentioned it before.
She nodded. “It’s as basic as spells come. Introductory level stuff. We’ve all used it from time to time, especially those of us who believe in keeping magic safe from humans.”
I glanced away, thinking of her words. ‘Those of us who believe in keeping magic safe from humans’. She wasn’t one of them…the ones who didn’t care if humans went crazy and landed in loony bins. The dark witches.
Saffron wasn’t bad. Certainly not in a ‘dark witch practicing black magic’ kind of way. But she…this place…they didn’t seem altogether good either. I was still slightly uneasy with the casual way she manipulated reality.
What were they?
I did know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ana would strongly disapprove. I didn’t know why I considered Ana my yardstick of morality, but I did.
“You’re going to give yourself a headache if you keep trying to pigeonhole everything like that,” Saffron said with a grin.
I blushed and looked away. “You can’t read minds, can you?” I muttered.
She shook her head. “No, but I sense energies, and I feel how conflicted yours is. You keep trying to figure us…me…out. Am I good or bad? Honey, the only person that can answer that is you. What you think.”
I looked down at the dirt and shuffled my feet. “I guess I’m only worried because, like I said, I’m pretty new to magic. Up until a few months ago I thought I was normal. Well, not normal, but certainly not a witch! But then I meet Ana, and she tells me that my mom was a witch and that I’m one too, and I have to be super careful and not break the rules of good magic because dark magic got my grandfather killed and ruined my mother’s life—”
“Whoa, child! Slow down…take a breath.” Saffron let out a tinkling laugh. “You are safe here, and no one will hurt you, or coerce you into doing anything you don’t want to do. Magic isn’t good or bad, light or dark, black or white…it is infinite shades of grey. Each case, each witch, is unique and different. There cannot be blanket generalities over what is good and what is bad. There are far too many exceptions to every rule. Many covens of witches disapprove of the way we create alternate realities to enjoy. But what of it? It enhances our lives and makes us happy. So why is it wrong? Who is it harming?”
I nodded as I walked beside her. “I agree. I think using magic for the betterment of the world is what it’s for. Not for sitting back and letting those we love suffer.”
“We were given these gifts for a reason. You were given your gifts for a reason.”
“That’s what I think, too. That’s why I get so upset and frustrated that we have these so-called powers, but we can’t even use them to save my dear friend!”
A doe and her fawn walked across our path, and I admired the graceful innocence in their eyes before they bounded away.
Saffron stopped and turned to me, her caramel skin smooth and unlined. She looked closer to twenty than two hundred, but the wisdom in her eyes gave her away.
“My dear, you have the power to do anything you want, as long as you put your mind to it and decide to do it. And never let anyone tell you different. You are a Morningstar witch. One of the most powerful I have ever felt. You have no idea how strong you are, but one day soon you will find out.”
Chapter 21. Revealed
Before I knew it we were back in the cozy office in front of the crackling fireplace. “Thank you, Saffron.” I leaned forward to give her a hug.
She squeezed me back, and I felt her genuine affection. Nicholas was right…she was someone I could trust, and I did feel like I could tell her anything. Although she hadn’t told me everything I’d hoped to hear, at least the spells she had given me were a good place to start. Right now, the thing I cared about most was helping Justin. Everything else could wait until that crisis had passed.
“Maybe you should call Nicholas back now,” I suggested. “My friends are waiting for me at home, and I don’t want them to worry.”
“Yes, I’ll do that in a moment. I want to tell you something first.” Saffron stared at me with an intensity that sent fiery shivers through my body. I sat back down; something told me it would be a good idea.
“This journey you are on…” she continued, her voice low. “This path you are about to take… It is one that is not without great peril. You seek truths, but be warned that sometimes the lies we live with are far easier than the truths we seek. Secrets and lies can destroy, but so can truth.”
I shook my head, confused. “But isn’t the truth always better? Even if it’s hard or hurts, isn’t it always right in the end?”
She shrugged and picked up her martini glass and swished it around. “That depends on what your goals are. Oftentimes, in order for some people to be truly happy and live a carefree existence, they are compelled to live with lies. The lie that everything is good, that their spouse isn’t cheating on them, that their kids aren’t using drugs. The lies are blissful. The truth can be devastating.”
I shook my head. “What…wait, you’re saying that the truth is worse than the lies?”
“It can be. I just want to warn you. Just so you know that whatever problems you think you have now, they could potentially become worse instead of better.”
I glanced toward the floor and stared at the crisscross pattern in the ornate rug. “What truth do I need to be afraid of?” I asked softly. “The truth about what lies surround me, or—?”
“Yes. And once you uncover what has been hidden, you cannot ever go back to the life you once knew. I just want you to really understand that before you proceed, and to carefully consider the potential consequences.”
“Can’t you just tell me then? Tell me what I need to know, or at least explain why I can’t know it! Just to make me curious like this…of course I’ll need to find out! How could I not?”
Saffron wandered over to a wall and tapped it to expose a picturesque bay window. The view overlooked snowcapped peaks, as if we’d suddenly been transported to the Swiss Alps in the middle of winter. She turned back to me.
“If you are destined to continue this path, then you will. If your fate lies elsewhere, then it shall be so. But you are your own game-master, and it is your choices that will determine your destiny.”
“Thanks, that clears it up perfectly,” I muttered under my breath.
Saffron turned and gave me a fai
nt smile. “Someday you will understand.”
“Can you please call Nicholas now?” I asked. I was starting to feel like I was spinning my wheels here, and I was growing increasingly concerned about my time. I wasn’t sure exactly how long we’d been gone, but Lily and Sophie had to be chomping at the bit back in my room.
Saffron nodded and waved her hand. Instantly we were standing on the beach where Nicholas and I had first encountered her. I heard a sudden shout and bursts of laughter, and turned to see Nicholas and five other boys engaged in a game of touch football. Three of the guys wore shirts, while Nicholas and the two others were bare-chested. I watched with appreciation as Nicholas reached up to catch the football, then threw it to one of the boys. Until now, I had only seen him shirtless in the darkness of my room. My heart beat a little faster as I admired how truly spectacular he was.
His face lit up when he spotted us, and he started jogging in our direction.
“Nicholas has always been special,” Saffron whispered beside me. “It is a very lucky girl who wins his heart, and not only because he is an exceptionally beautiful young man to look at.” She gave me a sly wink.
She gave Nicholas a smile as he approached. “Thank you for getting them off the couch for a while. Every time I try to put them outdoors they just send themselves right back inside again.”
“No prob, it was fun,” he replied, flashing his movie star smile. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned his emerald eyes on me. “You okay? You get what you needed?”
I nodded, although I still wasn’t quite sure.
He reached forward and gave my arm a quick squeeze. “Give me a sec. Let me grab my shirt and say bye to the guys.” I nodded again, and he turned and jogged away.
Suddenly, my heart stopped, and the air rushed from my lungs.
“What…!?” I stared, as the ground seemed to fall out from beneath me.
“Calista?” Saffron looked at me with concern.
My mind was spinning and my legs threatened to give way. I shook my head and prayed I wouldn’t throw up as I lowered myself onto the sand.
“Hey, hey.” Saffron quickly reached out to steady me.
“Oh my God, oh my God,” I moaned. Maybe I was seeing things. Maybe I was hallucinating.
“What? What is it? Nicholas—!” she started to call, but I gripped her arm.
“No!” I gasped, shaking my head. I’d never been more terrified than I was at this moment. This…this changed everything.
I took several deep breaths and steadied myself. As I looked up into Saffron’s questioning gaze, I suddenly realized…if I was right, then Nicholas wasn’t who I thought he was. And if that were true, was Saffron really my friend? I didn’t know if I could trust her. All I knew was that I needed to get home now. But I’d already made such a scene…
Think fast, Callie!
I shook my head again and faked an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry…this happened earlier…I think it’s a side-effect of shimmering such a long way. I’m not used to that.”
Saffron gently helped me to my feet, still watching me with concern. “What happened?” she asked.
I shrugged casually, eyeing Nicholas who was jogging back in our direction, now wearing his tank top. If only I could be sure.
But I knew what I had seen. It wasn’t my imagination or a hallucination. If only it had been. But now was not the time, and this was definitely not the place for a confrontation. Every instinct I had was telling me to keep this to myself…to play it cool.
Saffron eyed me with thinly veiled suspicion.
I let out a nervous chuckle as Nicholas came beside me and slipped his arm around my waist.
“Everything okay here?” he asked, noticing the sudden awkward tension.
Saffron reluctantly shifted her intense gaze away from me and turned to give Nicholas a winning smile. “Everything is fine. Nicholas, it was wonderful to see you again, and Calista—” She reached out and clasped my hands in hers. “Calista, it was a delight meeting you. Please consider me a friend and visit again. I’d like to stay appraised of your situation.” She leaned forward and hugged me, and again I felt nothing but genuine warmth and affection. I smiled back, wondering if I was just being paranoid. Maybe what I had seen had nothing to do with her at all.
“Are you ready to go home?” Nicholas asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded, holding his hand tight. I had no choice.
Home is where I needed to be right now. I needed to save Justin, find out the real truth about my mother, and find out exactly what happened that night to my grandfather. It was imperative, and there was no time to lose.
…Especially since I had discovered that the intricate Triple Star, the Mark of the dark witches who killed my grandfather and corrupted my mother, was boldly branded across the back of the boy I loved.
Chapter 22. Caught
The shot of freezing air whirled through my body as I was being pummeled by millions of icy pinpricks. After the initial blast of bright light, it was totally dark, and I felt like I was spinning through a tornado.
But only for a few seconds. Then it stopped.
I was standing in my room, beside my bed. Sophie and Lily stared at me wide eyed as I staggered forward and collapsed onto the fluffy comforter.
“Calista!” they both exclaimed, reaching out for me.
“I’m fine, I promise. I just need a second,” I moaned. I rolled over to rest my head on the pillow. My face felt like rubber again, and my stomach felt like it was in my feet.
Then I saw her standing there…her sparkly blue eyes staring at me with disapproval.
“Ana!” I exclaimed, and abruptly sat up. Instantly the dizziness overwhelmed me, and I dropped my head back down on the pillow. “What’re you doing here?” I mumbled.
“I wanted to speak with you, but you weren’t here. Sophie and Lily told me you needed to run a quick errand, so I waited.”
I heard Lily quietly in my mind. “Sorry, we covered for you the best we could.”
I could tell by the sound of Ana’s voice she was waiting for an explanation. I also knew I had none to give her right then.
I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. I wished everyone would just go away and leave me alone for a moment. Let me process everything I had just heard. What I had just seen.
What did it mean? Why did Nicholas have the triple star blazoned across his back? Why did he have that tattoo? Was it just a coincidence?
“There are no coincidences in magic,” Saffron had said. I moaned and covered my face with the pillow again. There was a gentle pressure on the mattress beside me as Ana sat down.
“Calista, darling, are you all right? Are you hurt?” Her voice was thick with concern. I opened one eye and caught her glaring at Nicholas.
“I’m fine,” I assured her. I propped myself up on a stack of throw pillows and flashed a big smile. “In fact, I’d like to talk to you, too, if that’s okay.” I looked at the others pointedly. I knew I wouldn’t be able to think straight until I knew more about Nicholas’s tattoo. And Ana was the only person who could help me with that.
“What is going on with you?” Sophie’s voice sounded in my head.
“Calista, are you sending us away? Aren’t you going to tell us what happened?” Lily thought furiously. I glanced up at them sheepishly. Then I noticed Nicholas staring at me with that same hard look he had given me that morning at Ana’s. His emerald eyes had been as cold as ice, hard and unfeeling, and at the time I had thought he hated me. But then I remembered he said he’d been reading my heart. And if that’s what he was doing right now, my secret was already out. He was aware that I knew what he was.
“I guess I should leave you be,” Nicholas said.
“Wait, Nicholas, I need to speak with you, too,” Ana said. “I’d come to get Calista so she could contact you and let you know…”
“Know what?” I asked.
“It’s the Council. They are ready for Justin.”
I gasped. “Now? But that’s too soon!”
Ana gave me an odd look and cocked her head. “Too soon? You knew this was coming.”
“Calista, what is going on?” Sophie insisted.
“There’s a way we can help Justin, but we can’t let the Council take him!” I thought back.
Ana glanced between Nicholas and me. “Is there some sort of problem?”
I rubbed my face, trying to think. Where do I start? I couldn’t let the Council take Justin away, not until we’d tried to fix him first. But would Ana even let me try?
There was only one way to find out.
“Ana, I need to talk to you first…just for a moment. But can we go somewhere else? I don’t want my dad hearing us, or coming in—”
She nodded. “We’ll reconvene in the parlor. Lily?” She rested her hand on Lily’s shoulder, and Lily grabbed Sophie’s arm. I hesitated a moment before reaching for Nicholas.
“You sure you want me to come with you?” he whispered under his breath.
I met his gaze and nodded. “I need you,” I whispered back. Suspicious tattoo or no, to me he was still the same guy as before. The one I couldn’t possibly imagine living my life without, even for a moment.
Before I could blink, we were standing in Ana’s parlor. This time the short distance barely even registered any sensation of tickling ants on my skin. It was much nicer than our uncomfortable transcontinental shimmer earlier. Sophie and Lily curled up on a plush leather couch, and Nicholas and I sat across from them on the loveseat. Ana positioned herself in her high-backed chair and folded her hands in her lap.
Everyone was waiting for me to speak. But I had no idea what to say, or even where to start. I felt like hundreds of poisoned arrows were flying at me from every direction at once. Whatever I did, I was going to get hit.
“Sure could do with some tea or hot cocoa right now,” I suggested, stalling for time as I gathered my wits.
The Complete Spellbound Trilogy Bundle Page 42
