I pulled against his hold and scratched at his hand.
Pressing his lips together in annoyance, he tugged his arm to rescue his hand from my assault. As he pulled away, I grabbed onto his sleeve to yank him off me.
As he resisted my fight, his sleeve pulled up his arm, exposing his well-kept secret.
I stopped struggling as my eyes landed on the mark on his forearm.
An exact replica of the one branded on me.
The mark of the Witch Hunter.
Chapter 5
By the time we made it back to the Jeep, the sun had set lower in the sky, casting long shadows at the edge of the forest. Turning back to check that we hadn't been followed, I glanced into the ominous trail opening, wishing I could leave it all behind me.
But if I had, then I'd never have known Shane.
Or maybe I would have, but only ever so briefly.
Plus, now I had more knowledge of my connection to Dom. I'd always known there was something there between us—a subtle glance, a good-natured joke, innocent teasing. There was a deeper history there that revealed itself even when we first met.
I couldn't leave any of this behind me.
It was too precious.
I'd never been more connected to people in my entire life until I met the UMAs—Shane in particular, and now Dom too.
Dom and I shared the mark of the Witch Hunter—a designation that exponentially grew in value once I learned I wasn't the only one who carried it. Suddenly, instead of a curse, it felt more like an honor.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked him.
He shook his head like I was a moron.
"Brynn, I had no idea you carried the mark too. I wasn't around to see it before. I was stuck in the past for who knows how long. Remember?" He moved his eyes along my arm. "And you still haven't shown me yours, so you realize I'm going on faith here."
I thought about the truth in his words, and he was right. He hadn't seen my mark yet. He was either still in wolf form when I first discovered it, or he was trapped in the portal, busting to get us all out alive.
Alive.
Shit.
Of course I had to have that thought. Another brutal reminder of Shane not making it out with us.
I held the agony tight within my soul, keeping it contained so it wouldn't consume me. That way, I could focus on my mission to make it right.
"Do you have any idea what it means?" I asked Dom. "Like, how we can use it? Could we work together somehow as hunters, to put an end to the curse?"
He turned the key in the ignition and stared out the front window.
"Well?" I pressed.
His exhale blew louder and longer than necessary.
With a shrug, he said, "No clue. I don't know what the hell it is or even where it came from." He rubbed the brand on his arm, and I wondered if it festered the way mine did.
As he pulled out of the lot, I caught him checking his rearview mirror, and with a final glance back, he bombed away from the woods as if being followed.
My eyes narrowed on him without blinking, and I soaked in the energy that radiated off his body, reading his every cue.
Fear.
Insecurity.
Confusion.
"What are you afraid of?" I questioned without shifting my gaze.
He frowned and shot a look of death at me.
"Don't use your wacky mystical shit on me," he scoffed. "You'll only send yourself down a spiraling rabbit hole."
I crossed my arms with a huff. "Fine. You can make it difficult, or you can make it easy. Either way, I'm going back there with or without you. I plan to reach Shane and help him cross over."
Dom's eyes closed for a moment. "He's already crossed over, Brynn. Don't you get it?"
His words cut deep, but I didn't allow them to kill me.
"I guess I don't get it," I said. "I refuse to let it end here."
I paused, considering withholding my next words, but they were too eager to fly out of my mouth.
"The Dark Witch has twisted our fates in a way to satisfy her own misery. And I plan to challenge her."
Dom's knuckles whitened on the wheel as his foot weighted more heavily on the gas.
"It's a death wish," he said. "She's too powerful. Her reign over the darkness is bigger than anything we know. If she finds out you're trying to disrupt what she's put in place, she'll end you." The Jeep flew faster along the main road. "Leaving the devastation of the past the way it was is the only way she can keep her current existence undisturbed."
His foot immediately lightened on the gas, and he glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"What did you just say?" My voice narrowed on him like a missile.
He remained silent, focused on his driving, but I didn't miss the beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"What the fuck did you just say?" I demanded.
Leaving the devastation of the past the way it was so she could stay alive?
He shook his head. "Nothing. Like I said, Brynn, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into, and the best approach is for you to walk away."
Dom knew more than he was telling me. It was clear to me now. And I intended to get every last detail from him, so I could face the Dark Witch with as much strength as possible.
If I could find her, I'd force her back to her original time, away from any access to present day. I'd end her disruption of time within the woods and the town of Lakefield. And end her hold on Shane.
Dom's slip had given me more knowledge than I could have ever hoped for.
And now, it would be up to him if he wanted to join me or not as I planned my predestined hunt on the Dark Witch.
Dom turned the Jeep in the direction of my house, and I cringed at the thought of wasting time there, waiting for something to happen.
No more.
There wasn't a moment to waste.
Barreling along the main road, I bounced in my seat, uncertain if it was the aggressive shocks in the Jeep or the increasing tension in my nerves. Along the skyline, the tall spire of the old church came into view, piercing the heavens with its stately presence.
"Pull into the church," I said.
"Sorry, Brynn. Things have progressed far beyond prayers," he huffed.
"Please, just do it. Park around back, so no one sees the Jeep." I glanced across the empty lot.
He let out an annoyed sigh. "I had no idea you were the religious type. What else are you keeping from me?"
His confusion reminded me that he had missed all the events that had taken place within the church while he was gone. He had been trapped in the past while we explored the hidden room, found the spellbook, and then practiced our craft with the new witch trifecta in the secret worship chamber.
It was time to show all of this to Dom.
"We have an altar inside the church," I whispered, afraid to be heard by whatever powers might be lurking around us.
"Um, yeah, I think pretty much every church has one of those." He parked the Jeep with a jolt.
I shook my head in annoyance. "No, a witchy one. There's a secret chamber. Just for the UMAs."
His eyebrows lifted as he glanced along the white walls of the church.
A lump swelled in my throat as I looked around the empty backlot. It was good that no one else was there, but the absence of Shane's RAV didn't escape me. We'd left it hidden back there on that fateful day. Now I didn't know where it was or if it even mattered.
"Do I get to see it?" Dom asked.
"Huh?"
"The secret chamber?"
"Oh, um, yeah. I want to see if the spellbook is still there," I murmured.
I rubbed my eyes to clear the distraction of Shane and everything we'd done together within the walls of the church. The exquisite torture of our memories here cut at my insides like a sharp blade.
"Okay, sounds intriguing." He stepped away from the Jeep, encouraging me to follow.
I took a huge inhale to clear my mind and moved along the
side of the church.
As we moved to the front, I passed the granite steps that led to the enormous black doors. Dom pointed up at them in confusion, as I went straight for the small door at the side.
A glimmer of hope lit me up on the inside when I pulled on the door and it cracked open.
"This way," I grinned.
Dom looked back with guilt plastered across his face, making sure no one was watching. And then we snuck inside.
"This is the lower level of the church," I explained. "Basically, where the bad shit happened."
He nodded, studying the dated religious icons on the walls.
"This place gives me the creeps," he whispered. "I feel like its prying into my soul, searching for my sins."
"Yeah, it has that effect on people," I agreed with a smirk. "You can't hide your sins in the house of God."
His eyes widened. "Well, that's unfortunate. I'm screwed then."
I smiled, wondering what sins he had to hide, and if they were any similar to my own. Then I shook my head, clearing it of my straying thoughts, and moved for the dark alcove that hid the door to the secret chamber.
"Here it is," I whispered, pushing past the stacks of chairs and boxes.
Dom struggled past the junk, keeping his eye on the strange hidden door.
"That looks old," he mumbled, studying the antique hardware and the heavy carved oak of the entryway.
I nodded. "Hundreds of years. This door could tell a lot of stories. But it's nothing compared to the feeling you get in the space it protects." I bent my head and moved inside.
Dom crouched and followed me, closing the door behind him with a resonating bang.
A gasp escaped my lips as my eyes adjusted to the low light.
"What the hell?" Dom choked.
We stepped closer to the altar, and I studied the items on its surface. Three candles flickered and burned at the bottom of their waxy stubs. The glow of their flames illuminated the space with a haunting glow.
Dom shuddered. "What the hell is all this?"
I shook my head in uncertainty. "Someone's been here. They left the candles burning and something on the altar, like a ritual of some kind."
I studied the wood chips and their arrangement on the surface. The burned symbols on each of them represented something, but I had no idea what. And maybe their particular arrangement on the table meant something as well.
As I studied the display more closely, my hand flew to my mouth. Personal objects had been placed among the mystical symbols, and I recognized each one instantly.
"Hey, my phone." Dom reached for his cell, and I grabbed his wrist.
"No, don't touch it. We shouldn't move any of these items. It might disrupt whatever is being done."
I stared at the altar without blinking.
My eyes focused on one thing only.
Shane's keys.
The other items held less significance in my mind, but nevertheless, each UMA was represented. Poorva's thumb ring. Blake's well-worn gaming deck. Courtney's worry stone. And my favorite black hairband. I had wondered where I'd left it.
Our personal items were arranged with care among the crystals and hand-carved talismans.
"Sooo, witchcraft?" Dom murmured.
I nodded. "I guess you could say that."
"That's messed up." He moved around the chamber, familiarizing himself with every aspect. "What are we supposed to do now?"
I stood on one side of the altar and motioned for him to stand across from me.
"Put your hands on the surface," I instructed as I did the same. "And close your eyes."
"Hell no. I ain't closing my eyes," he blasted.
"You have to," I stated. "We have to meditate on this. Open your mind to it."
He rolled his eyes larger than life.
"Do it," I urged.
With a deep breath, he glanced around one more time. "Fine."
And he closed his eyes.
Within seconds of closing our eyes, images burst through my mind like a movie reel. Flashes of Ms. Kelly's face, as well as Ms. Harrison and Ms. Reed. Then the group of UMAs, together as one. It was as if the altar represented us as a whole.
But then the images grew more intense. Blasts of frightening scenes—the devastation of the sister's executions, the escape from the hysteria of the villagers, the falling of Shane.
My eyes shot open as Shane's desperate face flashed through my mind. The final look in his eye held knowledge that I couldn't interpret. He sent a message to me in his last moment, and I'd missed it until now.
My gasp shot Dom's eyes open as well.
"Did you see it too?" he blasted.
"Yes," I exhaled.
And as I put into words what I had seen, Dom did the same. We spoke at the same time, and my words mixed with his.
"Shane," I murmured.
"Millicent," Dom spat.
My spine straightened.
"What?" We blasted in unison.
I stared across the altar at Dom.
"I saw Shane," I shouted.
"Millicent filled my head," he shot back at me. "And it wasn't friendly." He panted from the shock of it.
I closed my eyes again and searched the images of Shane. His eyes had held mine in the final moments as he fell wounded. I reached deeper into his wide pupils, and within them saw a story I'd never known had been there.
Deep within his eyes was Millicent.
Shane had tried to pass his knowledge of her to me, and I'd missed it.
But not anymore.
Shane's message was in my head, and I only had to interpret it now.
As my eyes popped open again, I latched onto Dom's frightened gaze.
"I don't like this shit," he murmured, glancing down at the arrangement on the altar.
"But it worked," I gasped. "It linked us to one thing."
He swallowed hard.
"The Dark Witch," we said together.
He knew as well as I did, we had an extraordinary power that only we carried.
"She's our focus, Dom. Together, we were able to conjure her in our minds. We need to practice more."
He rubbed his forehead as if willing away a migraine. "I think we should get out of here."
And just as he spoke the words, the sound of footsteps in the basement stopped our hearts.
I pressed my finger to my lips to silence him, and we stared into each other's eyes as the sound grew nearer.
With a clunk of the old metal latch, the small chamber door squeaked open. My eyes widened to see better as my heartbeat accelerated to the point of near exploding. The thrum of my pulse in my ears deafened me as I strained to identify the shadowy figure entering the secret room.
Dom moved around to my side of the altar and nudged me behind his broad shoulder. I pushed him away so I could see better, and he huffed at my refusal to be protected.
We peered through the low light as the unknown figure moved toward us.
"You're not supposed to be here." Her assertive voice straightened our spines.
I stepped closer, feeling like a reprimanded school child.
"Ms. Kelly?" I whispered.
Dom released the breath he'd been holding with a whoosh.
"Did you disturb anything?" she asked, hurrying to check on the altar.
"No, I don't think so," I said, uncertain if touching counted.
After surveying the objects on the altar, Ms. Kelly lifted her gaze to us.
"It was risky for you to come," she said. "This ritual is sacred and must be left to do its work, undisturbed."
Her tone remained stern, and I was surprised by her uncharacteristic behavior. She was typically more supportive and nurturing. Clearly, we'd rattled her.
"I thought Dom should see this place," I said. "I didn't realize it would be dangerous."
She pressed her lips together in a white line.
"I thought I was clear when I stated no one should enter the chamber without one of the Higher Order." She lifted her brows, kn
owing I'd heard the statement clear as day when it had been spoken.
I rubbed my eyes, hoping to hide the shame that threatened to pour from them.
"I know. I'm sorry," I murmured. "I just became too eager once Dom returned."
She studied me as if reading every feature, and then her gaze shifted to Dom.
"There's something different," she stated. "Something about the two of you. What is it?"
I shot my gaze to Dom, and he stared back with questioning eyes.
We weren't sure how much to tell Ms. Kelly, and the longer we remained silent, the more suspicious she became.
But the truth was, I had no intention of telling her the depths of our plotting. If she was already controlling our ability to access this worship chamber, then I was sure she'd stop us from facing the Dark Witch. That part would need to remain concealed, for the time being anyway.
"We've made some discoveries, Ms. Kelly," I started.
Telling her about the gravestones we found in the cemetery would be a good distraction from the rest of our story. Particularly since my primary focus was to learn what the ritual on the altar was set to accomplish.
After telling Ms. Kelly all about the cemetery, she hugged me, reminding me of her kind heart. It was as if she'd dropped her defenses and became herself again.
"I'm so sorry, Brynn. I didn't know. That's more than anyone should ever have to witness." She released me and stepped back. "I'm not sure what it all means yet, but it proves that things keep shifting." She glanced at the items on the altar as if they held a significant piece of the story.
Now was the perfect moment for me to ask about them.
"Ms. Kelly?" I started. "What is all of this?" I pointed across the surface where the low candles glowed.
She looked at Dom, then at me. With a blink, her eyes moved along the altar as she prepared her response.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "It's a strength spell. One that will hopefully increase each of your gifts to the next level."
My head shook slightly. "But I thought our training did that."
"It does," she agreed. "But we're running out of time."
The words were like a stab to my chest. I was already scared to death that everything would stop, and now her words threatened my fears would come true.
"What are you saying?" I stared into her face for answers, praying we would have time to find a solution.
Urban Mystic Academy: Fourth Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 4) Page 5
