Witch Hearts

by Liz Long

  “I guess that’s all right,” she said with a small smile. “But you get to make coffee in the morning.”

  “Deal.”

  They stood in silence, Ruby keeping her eyes on Cooper's chest. She could feel Cooper's eyes on her, waiting for her to speak. She took a deep breath, feeling as though she were struggling to stay above water in the evening’s events.

  “Ruby, are you all right? It’s been a hell of a night, but I can’t read you for anything. I can’t decide if you’re genuinely okay or staying busy to keep your mind off everything.” He didn’t let go of her wrist that now hung at her side and his fingertips grazed her hip.

  “The latter, unfortunately. If I stop to think about it, I might freak out and that’s not an option right now. We need to be on our guard, not falling apart.”

  “Will you be able to sleep tonight?”

  “No idea. Can’t say it’s been easy to sleep at all the last few days, but you know all about that.”

  “We could do a spell to help you sleep.”

  “Oh, no thanks. Last time Courtney tried that on me, I slept through an entire weekend. I’d rather count sheep or something.”

  Cooper smiled a little. “She was powerful, but man, when she messed up…”

  “There are still scorch marks on my kitchen ceiling from a potion she made a couple months ago. I have no idea what the hell she was trying to do,” Ruby said with a laugh.

  “Do you work tomorrow?”

  “No, Miranda gave me off through Monday at least. I need to see Detective Phillips at some point. I guess I’ll try to get in touch with my landlord in the morning, but since it’s Sunday, I’m not sure if we can get my locks changed until the business week.”

  “That’s what I’m here for,” Cooper said. He dropped Ruby's wrist and instead put his arms around her, bringing her in close to his chest.

  She breathed in his spicy scent, wanting to remember that smell even when he wasn’t around. Laying her head on his chest, she heard his steady heartbeat and briefly worried he could hear hers quicken at his closeness. She allowed her eyes to close.

  “Cooper, thank you for wanting to stay here.”

  He lowered his lips to her ear, though he didn’t whisper. “There’s no need to thank me. I want to do it. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you, too.”

  Ruby remained quiet, not wanting to bring up Courtney. She didn’t want to shatter this delicate moment. She needed to ignore the warmth of his skin against hers, to brush off the goosebumps across her skin when his soft breathing tickled her neck.

  After a minute, Cooper spoke again.

  “Do you remember that night?”

  “What night?” Ruby knew good and well to what he referred, but she wouldn’t dare let him think she gave it consideration.

  “You know.”

  Ruby hoped that he couldn’t feel her smile against his chest. “Maybe.”

  “Please tell me you remember.” The smile in Cooper’s tone gave way to a tease and she fought the urge to run her hand across his chest.

  “You mean the night we got drunk at my apartment? And stayed up talking until sunrise?”

  “Yes, that night. More specifically…” Cooper broke their embrace to look down at her. His forest green eyes had a fiery golden ring around them and when they met hers, it gave her a little thrill. “About what we told one another.”

  Ruby's gaze dropped as she stared at his shoulder, blushing at the memory. Two years back, before Ruby had moved in with Michael, she and Courtney invited Cooper over for dinner. Four bottles of wine later, Courtney called it quits and crashed. Ruby and Cooper, however, talked all night, about everything. Their families, past relationships, and hours more. They’d spent plenty of time together before then, but had never talked that long or in-depth.

  Ruby still remembered the desire for him to lean over and kiss her, the absolute craving to taste his lips - quite similar to what she was feeling right this second. It had been bittersweet when they revealed their want for one other for years. She and Michael had been getting serious; Cooper had begun to act a little odd (eventually leading to his leaving town) and had a different girl each week. Not wanting to risk everything, they agreed never to act on it; Courtney might disagree or their friendship could fall apart.

  “I remember.” She risked a peek back up at him; his intense gaze didn’t leave her.

  “We always had such bad timing.” His smile said it was anything but humorous, those damn eyes of his seeming to look right into her.

  She swallowed hard and her left shoulder twitched upward with a tiny shrug. “We cared too much about Courtney to let anyone get hurt.”

  A wave of emotion hit her, made her catch her breath. It was too much for her, this conversation on top of everything else that had happened in the last few days. She needed to worry about the witch killer, about her safety, not about her wanting Cooper to kiss her. Ruby didn’t have answers for the questions that would inevitably be asked and suddenly all she wanted was to hide under her covers, alone.

  She pulled away completely, leaving him standing there by the bed.

  “Let me know if you need anything else. Hope you get some sleep. Goodnight.” She didn’t wait for a response. She didn’t want to meet his gaze, feared those piercing eyes might change her mind and have her tearing his shirt off instead. She exited to head straight into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

  Ruby climbed into bed, almost dizzy with want and confusion. It was true she’d always harbored feelings for Cooper. Courtney had often suggested she thought Cooper liked Ruby as well, ever since college. Then after their parents died, he’d gotten caught up with his magic, landing him in another town in an effort to save himself. Now he was back; they were both single, but Courtney was gone and Ruby's emotions were all mixed up.

  She lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering if Cooper was asleep or thinking the same things as her. At least he was here in case anyone dropped in. She worried that thoughts would keep her from sleeping, but she drifted off without even realizing it.

  “You’re an idiot, you know that?” a voice called behind her. Ruby turned around to see Courtney rolling her eyes, her hands on her hips in that way that said she was supremely annoyed. Dressed in her gym shorts and a white T-shirt, she’d look perfectly healthy - if you couldn’t see through her.

  “Why do you say that?” Ruby looked around, confused at first, but realizing they were in the forest, headed towards the area where they practiced their magic.

  “Because you’ve always loved Cooper and I know he’s always loved you. You had googley eyes for each other the moment you two dummies met.”

  “I don’t know about all that…” Ruby followed Courtney's path to their spot, avoiding tree roots and fallen branches. She watched Courtney practically glide through the scattered debris.

  “I do. You two might’ve been careful about it, but I’m not stupid. You didn’t ever get together because you didn’t want me to feel weird about it. It’s a shame, really, because I wouldn’t have; I would’ve teased the hell out of you both.”

  “I was always with someone.” Ruby watched Courtney move; the leaves around her hardly moved even as Courtney pushed forward.

  “Yeah and then Coop went and got himself caught up in dark magic. Quite frankly, he’s lucky he got away without killing anyone. Or someone killing him, though I guess he cut it close,” Courtney added, her voice matter of fact. “But he’s here and I’m gone. You’re both single. Why the hell is he not in your bed right now?”

  “Courtney,” Ruby chided, her cheeks growing red. She brushed a leaf away from her face. “It’s an awkward situation.”

  “It’s not like he’s trying to get in your pants because his sister’s dead and woohoo, he can take advantage of you. You know him better than anyone - that is, now that I’m dead.”

  “Still. There are plenty of other things that take priority.”

  Courtney made a dismissive no
ise, waved her hand at Ruby’s statement. She ducked under the familiar branches; she was as real as Ruby, yet nothing stirred around her when she moved. When Ruby moved, she clomped through. Branches scratched her arms and she swatted at a twig that caught in her hair.

  They arrived at their site, the rocks still in their places to form a circle.

  “We’re here,” Courtney announced. And then it was dark. Ruby hadn’t blinked, but at Courtney's command, day fell and night rose. Courtney snapped her fingers and a small fire blazed to life inside the formation. Even in a dream, she could still do magic. Shadows jumped from every corner while the firelight shone on them.

  Courtney put a hand on her hip and scoffed at Ruby. “So what’s the problem? You don’t have to feel guilty because of me.”

  “I dunno. There’s a history there. I don’t want to screw it up.”

  “You mean you don’t want my brother to hurt you.” They sat side by side on the ground. Courtney reached for her hand, but when their skin touched, Ruby saw Courtney's fingers shimmer like water. Courtney snorted in annoyance, whether at Ruby's excuses or her ghostly appendages, Ruby didn’t know.

  “I just think there are more pressing concerns at the moment.” Ruby watched Courtney's hand on hers; she could see its form, but Ruby could see her own hand underneath. It looked bizarre.

  “Oh, right. You need to catch my killer.” The crickets that had been so loud earlier fell silent at the change of subject. Ruby glanced around, saw nothing but darkness past the orange flames.

  “Yeah.” She nodded at Courtney. “Before he goes after other girls.”

  “Or you. He was a bastard. Smart, though, catching me off guard, preventing me from using my magic. You need to be careful.” Even as she said it, Courtney’s pale torso began to bleed, a dull red coating the front of her white shirt. Ruby winced.

  “Why did he take your heart?”

  Courtney's lips twisted into a wry smile. “He didn’t share specifics with me. At least he saved that part for last. I was still alive when he started, you know. Hurt like a bitch.”

  “Oh, God, Court…” Ruby fought off nausea.

  “I don’t know much. I will say that I’m on Cooper's side in regards to killing this guy. It’s not only because he killed me; he’s a mean witch with no conscience and a need to kill. No prison cell would contain him for more than a short while.”

  “What does he want?”

  “Nope, sorry, dunno that one either. You’re gonna have to figure that one out on your own. Looks like he plans to come after you, anyways.”

  “How do you know that?” Ruby asked. Courtney couldn’t have known about the note on her door.

  Courtney's ghost form was going in and out like bad reception. Ruby wiped away the tears in her eyes to focus on what Courtney was saying as she blinked in and out.

  “He told me so. When he was using my blood, he kept muttering about how it wasn’t enough, that he needed more power. He’s kept an eye on us for a while, Ruby, lots of witches. He said something about how I was more powerful than the last two, but it wasn’t going to cut it. He told me he’d find you.”

  Courtney paused long enough to shake her head, her pretty face hardening at the memory. “I screamed at him like a maniac.”

  “What was he doing? Do you remember seeing anything?”

  “Not really. Besides, how can you be sure of anything I tell you? It’s partly your subconscious. You are dreaming, after all.” Courtney shot her a wry smile.

  “So you’re saying none of this is real? I don’t think I’m imagining you giving me the okay on Cooper because my mind feels guilty.”

  “You’re right. I’m here, in spirit or whatever.” Courtney shrugged. “I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you several times in the near future. And I am giving you the okay, for the record. I always thought it made sense, but there was always something….” Courtney trailed off, lost in thought as she swam in and out of Ruby's view.

  “Court?”

  “Hmm?” Courtney looked at her as though she were half asleep, a lazy smile on her beautiful face. Her hair floated in the air as though she were underwater.

  “I miss you already.”

  “I miss you too. I’m not going anywhere yet, though. Not for a while, anyways. I’ll stick around until you figure things out, okay? I love you.”

  Ruby reached in to hug Courtney; her arms grasped something lightweight until suddenly she was alone, her arms hanging in midair. She looked around at the forest, the fire that danced in the circle, and the leaves that still swayed on their branches. The cold air overcame her and made her feel more alone than she’d ever felt in her life. Her hands flew to her face as she struggled not to scream out in frustration.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Ruby jolted upright, her heart pounding while she caught her breath. She had only been dreaming of Courtney's ghost, of their conversation in the woods. She looked around at her familiar bedroom, at Aziza sprawled across the foot of her bed. A knot formed in her throat at the sight of Courtney's cat and Ruby swallowed hard, forcing herself to remember all the details of the dream.

  She reached for the journal she kept on her nightstand, writing down everything she remembered, right down to the way Courtney looked before she woke up. She didn’t write down her emotions or too many thoughts in the journal, but when it came to strange dreams or spells that came out of the blue, she made sure to record them. She never knew when that might come in handy, if ever, but she had done it since Cooper recommended it years ago. He always wrote down his odd dreams because many times, they were signs of something, visions given to him to decipher and react as he deemed necessary. While his visions were never set in stone or clearly understood, he said it didn’t hurt to remember the details.

  Ruby blinked hard several times as she recalled Courtney's statement about her heart being ripped out. She focused on Courtney's appearance, the way her skin shimmered and hair floated. She felt surer than ever that the killer involved water in his rituals. She’d need to ask Courtney the next time she dreamt of her.

  She finished writing and reread her description. That was everything she could remember. She glanced at her clock that read 11:02, much later than she’d planned to wake. Ruby slipped out of bed, cracking her door slightly. Silence greeted her; hopefully Cooper would sleep for a while. She didn’t want to make much noise, but she really wanted coffee.

  Tiptoeing into the kitchen, she made coffee, thanking her lucky stars she didn’t have to grind any beans this morning. Once she had her cup ready, she went back into her room, bringing her laptop and Book of Shadows into bed.

  Clicking on the local newspaper website, she grimaced at the top headline sprawled across the page: “Serial Killer Stealing Hearts,” complete with the victims’ photos underneath it. The media wasn’t considering it rumor anymore, which would only escalate fear. Ruby studied the photos for a minute. If the police were looking for connections between the three women, it wouldn’t be long before witchcraft became involved on a much bigger scale than threatening notes.

  The only thing the murdered women had in common was their way of death. Courtney, blonde and green-eyed, bore no resemblance to Amanda, the pale brunette, or Emily with her olive-skinned Native American features. Different ages, no mutual friends, and varying educations left no other similarity except for their powers. Even the way they’d been taken differed - Courtney while on a run, Emily in a movie theater parking lot, and worst of all, Amanda from her own home. Even if Ruby hadn’t talked to Detective Phillips last night about the possible involvement of witchcraft, it was only a matter of time before he would’ve put it together. The leads would eventually reveal the women’s covens. Ruby wondered what Phillips would do about the media; if they caught wind of witchcraft in the murders, it would become a circus.

  A muffled sound from inside the apartment made her jump. She looked at her clock and was surprised to see she’d been reading for over an hour. She put the spellbook back in its hidi
ng place and padded out to the kitchen to see Cooper standing by the coffeepot in only his jeans. Taut muscle rippled underneath tan skin as he moved around and she tried not to stare at his bare chest when he turned around. His blond hair stuck up everywhere and Ruby smothered the urge to run her hands through it.

  “I thought I was gonna make the coffee.” His bleary face broke into a smile as he raised his mug at her in greeting. The thick stubble on his jaw only added to his morning charm.

  “Yeah, sorry. I woke up and needed a jumpstart. Didn’t want to wake you.” She set her laptop on the kitchen table and walked to him to refill her own cup. He didn’t move away from her even as she maneuvered to get cream and sugar. Heat radiated off him and Ruby kept her hands firmly on her mug to prevent touching him. He sat down after she pulled a chair out for herself.

  “Did you sleep okay?” she asked him.

  “More than I thought I would. I haven’t slept this late in a long time. No dreams on my end, if that’s what you’re asking.” She opened her mouth to deny it, but he shook his head with a smile. “I know you’re not, but it was nice not to have any. I was afraid to sleep the last couple nights after that one I had of Courtney. Did you get any sleep?”

  “Actually, I had a dream about Courtney,” she said. He raised an eyebrow at her. “We were in our ritual space, had a big talk.”

  She recalled most of the dream to him, leaving out the parts Courtney had said about Ruby and Cooper being together. Her cheeks burned as she talked around them and she hoped he didn’t notice. She did, however, tell him all the details of Courtney's account of her death, talking quickly through it as she ignored his wince. When she finished, he sat there for a few moments, perhaps organizing his thoughts and questions.

  “Have you had dreams like that before?” he finally asked her.

  “Oh sure, but they’re not like yours and rarely that vivid. They don’t give me future events or anything. They’re more like…helpful hints. Or I’ll feel a sense of déjà vu sometimes.”