“How?” she challenged.
His smile turned impish. “I’m going to need that journal.” He clasped his hands together and fluttered his sweeping eyelashes. “Help a troll out, would you, sister?”
Maggie shifted in discomfort. “What exactly do you plan on doing?”
“Just a harmless little run-of-the-mill spell to make me blend in,” Ainsley said under his breath. “Even out the ol’ playing field for me.”
Maggie glanced furtively towards the crowd, but nobody was paying any attention to them. And even if they had been, the music was loud enough to drown out their words.
“And how exactly will this scatter the crows?” she asked, making air quotes around Ainsley’s choice of metaphor.
“It just will. Trust me.”
Maggie cringed at the sound of Lexi’s shrill laugh. “Fine,” she agreed with a sigh. “I saw Joel take the notebook into his room when we put Pippin to bed.” She raised her hands. “That’s all I know.”
Ainsley broke into a huge grin. “That’ll do! Let’s roll, troll.”
Maggie pursed her lips. “Why do I have to go?”
“Because I’m not allowed to do spells on my own,” he explained, grabbing Maggie’s sleeve and towing her towards the staircase.
Reluctantly, she trailed behind him as he slipped past the chairs that had been used to block access to the upstairs. He vaulted the missing third step and sprinted up the rest of the way as Maggie grudgingly followed behind.
It was so dark that she almost tripped as she stepped onto the upper landing. The music, still blaring from the speakers downstairs, was now slightly muffled.
“What would your brothers say if they knew you were doing this?” Maggie called after Ainsley as he trotted into Joel’s bedroom.
“It’s my dad’s journal,” Ainsley reminded her as he quickly rifled through Joel’s chest of drawers. “Ergo, it’s mine.” After a cursory glance under the bed, he began feeling beneath the mattress.
“But—” Her protest was cut short.
“Jackpot!” Ainsley cried, removing the little leather-bound book from its hiding place. “Under the mattress,” he mocked. “How uninspired.”
Hovering in the doorway, Maggie frowned.
Ainsley took an unlit candle and matches from Joel’s desk drawer and planted himself cross-legged on the floor. He lit the candle with a flourish, then began leafing through the worn pages of the book.
“Oh man, this is going to be fun,” he tittered as he flipped through the pages.
“Ainsley . . .” she tried again, taking a step into the room.
“Here it is!” he cried, then glanced up at Maggie, his expression clouded. “It’s a Two, though.”
“What’s a two?”
Ainsley brightened. “Exactly!” he cheered. “What’s a Two!” He waved his hand nonchalantly.
Maggie sighed. “I meant that literally. As in, what exactly is a two?”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” answered Ainsley with a mischievous wink.
A knot formed in Maggie’s stomach.
Ainsley, on the other hand, seemed to be bursting with excitement. “The Glamour spell,” he uttered. “My dad used to do it at parties. It’s like a magical makeover, draws all the attention to you.”
“No way,” Maggie said, shaking her head. “I don’t want the attention on me.”
“Not on you, dumbass.” Ainsley rolled his eyes. “On me.”
Maggie placed her hands on her hips. “Why would you want attention on you? I thought you wanted to blend in?”
Ainsley shook his head. “I meant blend in, as in equalize,” he muttered. “It’s time I got noticed. And a houseful of tall people is the perfect opportunity.”
Maggie narrowed her eyes doubtfully. “Yesterday you didn’t seem too keen on getting noticed,” she pointed out. “You didn’t even want Isla and me as houseguests.”
“And I still don’t,” Ainsley said with a scowl. “But this is different. This is a party! Technically, it’s my party, since it’s my house—but no one is giving me any credit. Probably because I’m only thirteen,” he grumbled.
“I remember being thirteen,” Maggie said. “It wasn’t so bad.”
Ainsley shot her a look. “Thanks for the after-school special, Mum.” He sighed. “I just want to close the gap a little, y’know? I’m dying out there.”
Maggie pursed her lips. “I don’t know if you should do this . . .”
“It’ll be fine,” Ainsley assured her. Cradling the journal in his lap, he reached out and gestured for Maggie to close the door. She tentatively obliged, and it latched shut with an ominous click.
At once, Ainsley hovered his hands over the candle flame. He began murmuring under his breath, reading from the open book. He swayed from side to side, rocking slowly in time to his chants. The bulbs in the chandelier began to flicker above them.
Shivering, Maggie wrapped her arms around herself.
“Ainsley?” she called to him hesitantly.
He looked up from the journal, but he didn’t seem to register her.
Maggie edged forward. “Are you okay?” She peered down at him.
Suddenly the candle’s flame flickered out and Ainsley blinked.
“Did it work?” he asked.
Maggie shrugged. “I don’t know. Did it?”
He hopped to his feet. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t work on you,” he reasoned. “Not with Joel’s protection spell still clinging to you like cheap cologne. Let’s go test it out.”
He strode back into the upper corridor and descended the staircase, jumping over the broken third step with a flourish. Maggie, trailing behind, watched with surprise as people took notice of his arrival. Boys looked on admiringly, jutting out their chins at him in greeting, while the girls batted their eyelashes at him dotingly.
Ainsley gave Maggie a wide smile and a quick thumbs-up as a petite brunette in a mini-dress began playing with his flaxen tendrils.
“I think it worked!” he mouthed to Maggie.
“Yeah, too well,” she muttered. She marched down the staircase and prized the brunette’s arms from around Ainsley’s neck.
“Hey!” he sulked.
“He’s only thirteen,” Maggie told the girl crossly. But her words were drowned out as more girls swarmed in to coo over Ainsley.
“This is awesome!” he whooped. “Don’t tell Joel,” he added before Maggie was railroaded out of the way by the flock of enchanted admirers.
Joel, Maggie winced.
She could hardly stomach the thought of watching Lexi and The Clones fawn over him for one minute more. They were just as bad—no, worse, Maggie decided—as all those doe-eyed girls who were presently fawning over Ainsley.
This is ridiculous, she berated herself. Why am I hiding from him? Worse, why was I listening to Ainsley at all?
Resolving to find Joel and actually talk to him, Maggie turned towards the kitchen. She’d barely taken a single step, however, before something in her peripheral stopped her in her tracks. There, standing in the hallway in plain view of everyone, was Isla.
And she was entwined with Kaden Fallows.
JOEL LEANED AGAINST the kitchen counter, listening to Football Paul regale his varsity buddies with a story of what he described as ‘the most legendary away match he’d ever played,’ wherein the number of goals he’d scored increased each time he told the tale. Some of the cheerleaders were flocked around him, giggling along with the story and flirting shamelessly. They tried to engage Joel, too, fluttering their eyelashes and pouting their lips, but he never took the bait. Sometimes he caught Lexi’s eyes pouring over him, trying to snare his gaze, but he didn’t reciprocate.
He wasn’t interested in Lexi. He never had been. Besides, Lexi didn’t like him—not really, anyway. He knew the drill. When people like Lexi stared at him, it was probably because they were noticing something different about him. Something compelling that they couldn’t quite explain. It drew them in; they wer
e entranced by it. But they weren’t seeing Joel—not like how Maggie saw him, anyhow. No, the others were just seeing a witch. So he would simply smile and nod, always polite but nothing more. And tonight was no different.
It was well into the party by the time Joel found himself beginning to relax. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, after all. Still, he’d be relieved when it was over, not least because he’d hardly seen Maggie all night.
Suddenly, as though the simple thought had willed her to him, Maggie strode into the kitchen.
Joel’s eyes warmed when he saw her. “There you are,” he said, waving her over. “Where have you been hiding all night?”
At his side, Lexi scowled.
Without missing a beat, Maggie bypassed Lexi and took Joel’s sleeve. “Trouble,” she said under her breath.
He let her lead him from the kitchen, away from the party and into one of the large ground-floor bathrooms. She flicked on the light switch, then pushed the door shut behind them and dragged the bolt across. The room was clad in avocado green tiles, and the cloudy mirror above the old-fashioned pedestal sink quavered in time with the music.
Joel looked at her for a moment, feeling tentatively pleased that they were finally alone together.
“So . . .” he began with a careful smile. “What’s up?”
Maggie let out a breath. “He’s here.” Her voice echoed off the high ceiling.
At once, Joel sobered. “You mean . . . ?”
“Yes,” Maggie hissed. “Kaden’s here.”
Joel tensed. “Kaden’s here? As in, here here? In the house, here?”
“Yes!” Maggie gestured wildly to the closed bathroom door. “He’s in the hallway with Isla!” She tugged anxiously at a strand of her hair. “He’s whispering into her ear.”
Joel flinched. “What’s he whispering?”
“I don’t know!” Maggie cried, throwing up her arms. “I wasn’t exactly keen on getting close enough to listen in.”
Joel groaned and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. “Okay,” he said at last, exhaling as he dropped his arms. “I have to deal with this. I have to confront him, find out what he wants.”
“So, what, you’re just going to come right out and ask him?”
Joel let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know. I need to talk to my brothers.”
Maggie glanced to the closed door. “Evan was in the kitchen with Charlie and those guys . . .”
“Right,” said Joel. “Have you seen Ainsley anywhere?”
“Uh, well,” she stammered, a blush rising in her cheeks. “Yeah. We might have a problem there, too.”
Joel frowned. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” said Maggie. “But he’s gained a few . . . um . . . followers.” She twiddled her thumbs as she spoke. “Female followers. Admirers, if you will.”
Joel held up his palm. “I don’t need to know this right now. One problem at a time, okay? Let’s just get Evan and deal with Kaden.”
He slipped his hand through Maggie’s and led her from the bathroom. Fused together, they retreated through the dusky corridor and into the kitchen where Evan, Charlie, and various other soccer guys were still gathered around the table.
Joel sidled up and grabbed Evan’s arm.
“Joel!” Evan sang merrily.
“J-Dog!” Charlie put in, outstretching his arms.
The others around the table greeted him likewise in a raucous chorus.
“Evan, can I talk to you in private for a minute?” Joel said gravely.
“Joel!” Evan said again, grinning dopily at his brother.
“Yes, I’m Joel,” said Joel impatiently. “And we need to talk. Now.”
Evan hiccupped.
Maggie and Joel swapped a glance.
Joel sighed. “Evan, are you drunk?”
Another hiccup. “Yerp!”
Joel’s shoulders sagged. “Of all the times to take up drinking,” he muttered to Maggie.
Maggie glanced down at the tower of plastic cups on the table and the overspill of syrupy liquid staining the woodwork.
“Relax,” Evan slurred. “It’s a par . . .”—he paused as another hiccup came on—“. . . ty,” he finished.
Joel sighed again. He’d only seen Evan drunk once before, and that had been a long time ago. Joel had been twelve at the time, and Evan thirteen. It had been during carnival season, when they’d found a bottle of whiskey in The Incredible Psychic Madam Emerald’s fortune telling tent one night. Joel had stuffed the bottle into his jacket pocket, and together he and Evan had snuck into the Haunted House after closing time.
For an hour or so they’d drank and laughed until tears had streamed down their faces. They’d sung improvised songs out loud, their heads pressed together as they’d reclined in one of the ride’s train carts. Then, Joel had noticed that Evan had turned a strange shade of green. At first he’d put it down to a trick of the moonlight—until his own head had started spinning. And then . . . the sickness happened. Everywhere.
Everywhere. Joel winced at the memory.
“Yeah, great, party,” Joel muttered now, steering his brother away from the rowdy group. “But I kind of need you to sober up pretty fast, because we’ve got a problem.”
Evan wobbled and steadied himself on the kitchen counter. They were out of earshot now, but no one was paying attention to them anyway.
“I don’t want to sober up,” Evan garbled. “This is the f-first time I’ve ever been allowed to have f-fun . . .” His eyebrows knotted together. “Without Dad telling me what I can and ca . . .”—hiccup—“. . . n’t do.”
Joel shot another weary look at Maggie.
“And n-now,” Evan went on, raising his index finger as he assessed Joel and Maggie through bleary eyes, “now I can be a n-normal eighteen-year-old. Because Dad left, so screw him.” With that pronouncement, Evan swayed again.
“That’s just great,” Joel muttered, grabbing Evan’s shoulder to steady him. Then he looked his brother right in the eyes. “Dad might not be here, Evan, but Kaden is.”
“What?” Evan murmured, slightly more alert.
Joel nodded his head, and Maggie looked to the floor.
Then, all at once, Joel felt something in the atmosphere shift. Time began to slow, just as it had done in dodgeball the day before. He glanced around, taking in the sluggish movements of his classmates as they slowly raised their cups to their lips, their laughter seeping out in elongated basso thumps.
Joel swallowed. This had happened before without him meaning it to. It was as though something just came over him compulsively—like his instincts made his mind hyper aware that something bad was about to happen.
He blinked and time sped up again, eventually resetting itself. Almost afraid to look, Joel trained his eyes on the kitchen’s entrance. And there, standing beneath the archway, was Kaden Fallows.
“HI,” SAID KADEN. One word. His black hair fell in neat waves above his cool grey eyes. Isla was at his side, her hand linked through his.
Joel tensed and laced his fingers through Maggie’s
“We figured you’d show up eventually,” said Evan, the slur still evident in his voice. “Frankly, we were wondering what was taking you so long.”
Kaden’s expression remained impassive, despite the fact that he was facing his rivals. Facing his half-brothers, no less.
He’s my half-brother, too, thought Joel.
Narrowing his eyes, he regarded Kaden with a mixture of dread and intrigue. This boy shared their blood, their genes, even some of their features. Yet they had absolutely no idea who he was. And worse, they had no idea what he might be capable of.
“I’m not here for you,” Kaden said at last, his voice quiet. “I’m here for Isla.”
Isla smiled blissfully and nuzzled into his shoulder.
Joel felt Maggie’s grip tighten around his hand. He swallowed.
“Erridox is over,” he said, glancing around furtively. No one was paying them any attention; they were all
too caught up in the party to be concerned with the hushed conversation unfolding on the other side of the kitchen.
“I’m not talking about Erridox,” Kaden replied tightly. His eyes shifted to the table of varsity guys, who’d just erupted into hoots of laughter at some joke or another. “Is there somewhere we can go to talk?” he said. “In private?”
Evan and Joel exchanged a look.
“Outside,” Evan muttered at last.
With his head bowed, Evan led the group out through the back door off the kitchen. One by one, they stepped out into the cold, snowy night. The door fell shut behind them, trapping the party inside.
“Isla, there’s something you need to know,” Joel began through clenched teeth. “Kaden’s like us. He’s a witch.”
Isla’s expression remained unmoved as she huddled closer to Kaden. “I know,” she said softly. “He told me everything.”
“No,” Maggie insisted, moving toward her friend, “I’ll bet he hasn’t. Did you know he tried to turn you into a witch, and almost killed you in the process? I’ll bet he didn’t tell you that.” She reached for Isla’s arm and tried to draw her away from Kaden.
Isla shook free of Maggie’s grasp. “He told me,” she replied calmly. “He told me everything.”
Maggie stared back at her friend, dumbfounded. “Then why are you still standing with him?” She shifted her gaze and glowered at Kaden. “You’ve cast a spell on her, haven’t you?”
“I haven’t,” he said in a low voice.
“He hasn’t,” Isla echoed emphatically. “I just . . . understand.”
No one said anything for a long moment. The only sound was the wind blowing over the hard-packed snow.
Evan broke the silence. “Why are you here?” he barked at Kaden. “What do you want?”
The forest surrounding them gave a groan as the gale began to pick up.
Kaden’s arm snaked around Isla and he pulled her closer. “I’m not going to hurt her,” he said above the wind. “I tried to forget her. I tried to forget you, too,” he added, looking pointedly at the brothers. “But I couldn’t. Back then, during Erridox, I didn’t know you were my br—” He stopped mid-word and took a shaky breath. “I didn’t know you were my mother’s children.”
Blackheath Resurrection (The Blackheath Witches Book 2) Page 10
