by Jen McConnel
“Of course not.” His words were quiet and clipped. “I hate it. I’ve hated it for longer than you, I’d bet.”
“So let’s do something about it!”
He shook his head, his face fully flushed. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Not if we work together. Alone, yes, you’re right, we make easy targets. But two Red Witches together—”
“No.” His voice was sharp, but I ignored the warning in it.
“Do you like being her slave?”
He stiffened and turned his back to me. “I’m nobody’s slave.”
“If you let Hecate use you, you might as well be.”
“I think you should leave.”
I was stunned. “But I’ve come so far to find you!”
Marcus kept his back to me. “Clearly it was a waste of time.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Still, I want you to go.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized how stupid I sounded.
He whirled around, his eyes flashing. “Actually, I can. You are in my domain. You’ve used Red magic here without my consent. I can do anything I want to you, and no one will stop me.” A red glow surrounded him, and I scrambled to grab up my own magic as I took a step backward.
He didn’t make a move toward me, but the air crackled dangerously between us. “But we could help each other!”
“I don’t need your help. I’ve been a Red for longer than you can imagine, and you’ve been one for what, ten minutes? You can’t help me.” He spat the last words fiercely, and I took another step closer to the door.
“Why did you choose Red magic?” I softened my tone, hoping he would let me stay, but he just shook his head.
“Leave. Now.”
I thought of one last thing. “I’m staying at the hostel on Princes Street. If you change your mind—”
“I won’t.”
“But if you do, come and find me.”
He crossed the room in two wide steps and pushed me out the door. “You don’t want me to find you,” he threatened, slamming the door in my face.
I stared at the peeling red paint on the door for a minute, stunned. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I trudged down the stairs and headed back to the street, my thoughts churning furiously. I had come all this way to find Marcus, and I hadn’t considered that another Red wouldn’t want to help. It seemed like the obvious solution to me. Was I the only one who didn’t want to destroy things?
I paced around the city, barely noticing the cobblestone streets lined with souvenir shops and pubs that had caught my attention before. What if this entire trip was just a big mistake? Two more people were dead because of me; what if something else happened? Guilt pressed into my thoughts, and I thought about Sandra and Joan with a shudder. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I clenched my teeth and inhaled sharply.
Forcing my thoughts away from the awful memory of the vaults, I pulled out my cell phone. Acting on impulse, I dialed a familiar number.
The phone rang once, twice, three times, but on the fourth ring it cut off abruptly and I heard a distant voice.
“Hello?”
I smiled despite everything that had happened. “Justin! It’s me.”
“I hoped you would call today.”
“You did?” My heart swelled, and I fought to keep the silly grin off my face.
“Yes.” He paused for a moment. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
I wanted to keep my voice light, but it quivered slightly. “Don’t sound so serious!”
“I’ve been having dreams.”
I paused. “Go on.”
“Dreams about you.”
“What every girl wants to hear.” I fought back the surge of fear that rose in my chest. Did he somehow know what I’d done to those poor girls?
“Lena, I’m worried about you.” His voice was full of emotion, and I almost started to cry right there on the Edinburgh sidewalk.
I forced a smile into my voice. “But there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Maybe. But you haven’t made any bargains, have you?”
I laughed bitterly, thinking about Marcus. “Actually, just the opposite.”
He exhaled loudly. “Good. Now is not a good time for you to try to make a deal.”
“You can say that again,” I muttered.
Justin continued talking over me. “You need to be careful. I don’t know why, but I keep dreaming about you winding up trapped. I don’t think you’ll have pomegranate seeds to get you out of any bad choices.”
The seeds had undone my bond to Aphrodite, but they’d also broken the love spell that I’d cast on Justin. I winced at the memory.
“Not expecting any other random seeds, thank you very much.” I tried to sound confident, but my stomach clenched as I remembered that Persephone couldn’t reach me now.
“But seriously, be careful. Please?”
“Fine.” I closed my eyes for a moment, wishing I could lean my head on his shoulder.
He paused. “Is that a promise?”
I sighed. “It doesn’t matter, because I’m coming home.”
“What?” His voice sounded alarmed. “What are you talking about?”
“This whole thing has been a waste of time.”
“Did you find the other Red?”
I grimaced. “Unfortunately.”
Justin was silent for a minute. Then he surprised me. “I don’t think you should come home yet.”
I stared at the phone blankly. “Are you kidding? What’s the point of hanging around here if I’m not getting any help?”
“Maybe you could enjoy yourself.” His tone was so earnest; I could picture his warm brown eyes willing me to stay.
“But I miss you,” I whispered. For a moment, there was silence on the line, and my stomach clenched. Had I crossed an invisible line? I so didn’t know how to act around him anymore, but I needed him. I knew that much.
Finally, he sighed. “I miss you, too. But this is important. What if this is your chance to get out from under Hecate’s thumb once and for all?”
“But what’s the point if the other Red won’t help me?”
“Be patient, Lena. Things might change.”
I closed my eyes, trying not to cry. “I guess.”
“Just don’t make any deals.”
“Fair enough.”
We talked for a few more minutes until we ran out of things to say. Finally, as a joke, I asked about the weather.
“We’re due for an ice storm. They’re saying it’s going to be the worst in twenty years.”
I laughed. “They always say that, and it never is.”
I could almost hear Justin shrug. “I don’t know. Something’s strange about this winter, but I can’t tell what it is.” Mom had said the same thing, and I felt a tingle of unease on the back of my neck. Something about the weather wasn’t natural, but I didn’t want to alarm Justin.
“You’re imagining things. I have to go, but I’ll call you later and let you know when I’m coming home.”
“Give it a chance. Things may change!”
I smiled at the certainty in his voice. “Whatever you say.”
After I hung up, I plopped onto a bench. Justin could always make me feel better. He might have been willing to date me again, despite the love spell and all the other craziness between us, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to put him in that kind of danger. Hecate had already used my best friend to try to get to me, and I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to Justin, too. It really didn’t matter, I realized; we hadn’t talked about anything that had happened last fall, so I had no way of knowing if Justin thought of me as a friend or something more. He acted like he’d forgiven me for the love spell, but I couldn’t be sure. For the moment, all that mattered was that he was safe, and he was more likely to stay safe if I stayed away from him. That thought gnawed at my heart, but I knew I was right. I wasn’t sa
fe to be around.
A squirrel chattered on the ground near my feet, breaking me out of my melancholy. It scampered off quickly, but I leaned back on the bench, thinking. I’d needed the simple reminder to just focus on the here and now. Sometimes, I got so overwhelmed with my problems that I forgot to enjoy things.
That had been happening a lot lately. I’d hardly noticed my surroundings in Iceland, and now there I was, sitting on a bench in Scotland, and I hadn’t looked around since I’d landed. I shut my eyes and then opened them again, willing myself to really see what was around me.
Even in the depths of winter, I could tell that Scotland was beautiful. Surveying the street from my bench, I felt the irresistible impulse to look for Ebenezer Scrooge. Even though Dickens set his novels in England, something about the dark streets of Edinburgh made me feel like the Victorian era had never ended. I drew a deep breath, taking in the smell of pollution mingled with snow that hadn’t fallen yet. It was strange and beautiful, and I started to relax a tiny bit.
Glancing up, I noticed the slate gray sky for the first time that afternoon. The storm looked like it wasn’t far off. I pulled my old, green wool coat tighter around me and tried to get my bearings. I hadn’t been paying attention to where I was when I followed Marcus to his apartment, and now I realized that I wasn’t sure how to get back to the hostel.
I reached for the bag that hung over my shoulder and pulled out a shiny travel guide. My mom had traveled all over the Celtic lands when she was in college, and she’d offered me her beat-up guide book, but I’d opted to buy this new one. It had seemed silly at the time: I wasn’t planning on doing any sightseeing, so why would I care if the guide was up to date or not? Still, now that I was lost, I was glad I’d listened to my impulse.
I had to turn the glossy map twice before I was able to orient myself, and I was surprised to see that I’d wandered much farther from my hostel than I thought. After another look at the looming clouds, I decided that I could afford to be spoiled. I flagged down the second taxi I saw and leaned back on the musty seat to think. Tall buildings rushed by, and I was overwhelmed by the surreal setting; Edinburgh was like nothing I had ever seen back home. A shiver of fear wormed its way into my brain as I thought about what had happened in the vaults, but I tried to push it aside and concentrate on the beautiful scenery going past. Still, the brief moment of relaxation I’d felt on the bench was gone, replaced with mounting anxiety. My thoughts drifted back to Marcus, and I frowned. It was pretty obvious that I needed help to deal with Hecate, but other than asking Marcus, I hadn’t come up with any options. Maybe, I thought, I’d have to do something drastic. If Marcus didn’t want to help me on his own, I was sure I could use magic to persuade him to become my ally.
When I stopped to pick up my key from the reception desk, a different man than the one who let me in last night was leaning behind the counter. He motioned for me to wait, and I realized he was on the phone. I looked at the photos that plastered the walls for a minute, just zoning out, but then his words penetrated my hazy mind and I felt a flash of guilt.
“They were staying here. That’s right, New Zealand. I’ll ask some of the other kids and let you know. Good-bye, officer.”
I managed to keep my hand from shaking as he handed me the key, and I forced myself to smile at him.
He glanced at the key and paused. “Say, you’re staying in dormitory 5C, right?”
I nodded, my throat too dry to answer.
“Did you get a chance to meet a couple of the other girls? Sandy and Joan?” He leaned forward expectantly, and I pulled the key away from him.
My thoughts racing, I considered the best answer. “They woke me up last night looking for a toothbrush.” I clenched my fist, trying to keep my fingers from trembling.
If he thought it sounded lame, he didn’t let on. “D’ya know their phone numbers or addys?”
I shook my head. He sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
“It looks like the girls got in a spot of trouble.”
The sight of their crushed bodies in the vaults flashed through my mind, and I almost threw up. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to ask, “Are they okay?”
He shook his head slowly, as if he wasn’t sure how much to tell me. “There was a cave-in down in the vaults.”
“Oh.” I grimaced, sure I was turning green. “Hospital?” There might be a chance the girls had made it out okay, but his next word confirmed my worst fear.
“Morgue.”
My stomach churned furiously; I needed to get upstairs before I was sick in front of this guy. I blinked a few times, trying to keep my face neutral.
He sighed again. “Ask the other girls in your room, if you see them. I need to get in touch with their parents, but when they checked in, they didn’t leave any numbers besides their mobiles.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As soon as he had turned back to the phone, I took the stairs two at a time, hoping I had the dorm room to myself. I was on the verge of losing it completely, and I didn’t need an audience.
For once, luck was on my side, and I collapsed against the door of the empty room, breathing heavily. I climbed up to my bunk and sat back, closing my eyes and trying to think.
Were Joan and Sandra already dead before I’d used Red magic? I couldn’t be sure. My stomach rolled as I thought about it. There was a chance that the cave-in had killed them, not my defensive blast of Red magic, but I had no way to know. Besides, the cave-in hadn’t been natural; there was something in there with us, and I was sure Hecate had been behind whatever it was. Whether they died in the cave-in or after, when I used magic, the girls were still dead because of me. Just like Rochelle.
Hecate must be laughing somewhere. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to stop killing people.
I collapsed into bed even though it was only late afternoon. Guilt threatened to overwhelm me, and my brain couldn’t let go of the image of the girls’ mangled bodies. Gods, how many more people would I kill? I told myself that if I slept, I’d be able to forget about what had happened in the vaults, but my sleep that night was plagued by even worse nightmares. Once more, I dreamed of Loki.
He was still bound in the same cavern, and his wife stood over him with her bowl. I wanted to pull myself out of the vision, but Loki crooked his finger at me and I felt myself moving forward against my will.
“So, Darlena. You have come back to hear my proposal.”
“I can’t do what you want.”
His twisted face smiled. “I believe differently. You are quite the powerful Witch. Why limit yourself?”
I tried to step back, but my feet were welded to the floor. “I work against chaos. I don’t want to cause more.”
His laugh was raspy. “But it would be such a simple thing, child! No need to really cause chaos. The seeming is more powerful than the reality.”
“What do you want?”
“A small boon. Make it seem as if the world is ending, and I will teach you how to bind Hecate.”
I hesitated, stunned. “There is no way to bind a god.”
The chains that held him rattled. “I of all people know that is not true. If you free me, you will have my bonds at your disposal. It is a simple matter, binding a god, once you have the right tool.”
I stared at him. “Why would you work against the gods?”
He snarled. “What has any of them ever done to help me? I owe them nothing. But,” he smiled, showing his sharp teeth, “I would owe the person who sets me free.”
“But how would I free you?”
He jumped eagerly at my words. “We have a pact, then?”
I shook my head. “I never said that. I just want to know how you think it could be done.”
“But you’re considering it. Oh, yes, child, I can hear your thoughts turning. Trust me. It can be done, with my help.”
The dream started to fade, but I called out, “I have not made any promises!”
“Not yet, child,” he cac
kled. “But you will.”
After that, disturbing visions of blood and broken bodies filled my dreams, and I woke up feeling worse than I had in a long time, which was saying something, considering how awful things had been lately. The dormitory was silent, and I felt a lump in my throat when I looked at the two empty beds that had belonged to Sandra and Joan.
I was only too happy to get up, pack my bag, and leave in search of another hotel. I did a finding spell before I left the hostel, and within ten minutes, I found myself standing in a marble and brass hotel lobby, checking in. The place looked expensive, but because I was alone, the woman behind the desk gave me the senior discount. After I forked over half my cash to guarantee that I’d have a bed for at least another week, I headed up to my new room.
There was a small balcony overlooking a back alley, but I was too tired to be charmed. Shutting the curtains, I unpacked my bag and plugged in my computer. Maybe a distraction would help me forget what I’d done in the vaults.
Nibbling on a battered-looking snack mix that I’d found in the bottom of my backpack, I scrolled through my inbox. There were four messages from my mom, and I realized with a start that I’d barely contacted her since arriving in Scotland. The emails didn’t sound panicked, but they felt like someone had just flashed the Bat Signal; Mom wanted to hear from me, and soon.
As I composed an email, I thought about how to avoid anything that would get me in trouble at home. I told her I’d found another Red, and that I was “working on” forming a relationship. I would never tell my good, Green mother that I was thinking about messing with another person’s will, even if magic was the only way to make Marcus help me. Sometimes, the methods of Red magic veered dangerously close to those little Black spells Rochelle had taught me before I was kicked out of Trinity, and I knew how my parents felt about Black magic.
They weren’t alone. Even though Trinity taught White, Black, and Green magic, the emphasis was always on the kinder two forms of magic. I’d dabbled with Black magic because of my temper and my friendship with Rochelle, but that didn’t mean I really understood this dark craft. According to my training, Black was almost always evil, White was good, and Green was of this world. And Red? Based on everything I’d done so far, Red was death and destruction. Firmly, I pushed the image of the bodies in the vault out of my mind.
