by Luna Pierce
Wait, or can I? The oath said something about not telling the human students, but it didn’t actually say anything about outsiders. I’ll have to verify that. Not that telling my longest best friend that I’m a witch doesn’t sound crazy as hell, but being able to talk to her about it might help settle my nerves about everything. Plus, the shocking news about my dad. Brooke will be elated to hear I might possibly have the chance to meet him.
I should have remembered to ask my mom the other day for his name and see if she could bring something that belonged to him to help me with a tracking spell. Abigail’s powers typically only work on people she’s already familiar with, so blindly being able to find my dad is off the table. I need information, personal items, some DNA would be useful, too.
In any other scenario, I would drop everything I was doing to immediately go and find him. But considering I have this whole reoccurring curse thing going on and am risking my life and other people’s lives at every turn, I have to put my personal problems on the back burner. The first chance I get, though, when I can do so safely, I will do everything in my power to locate him and at least try to see if he wants to be in my life, in my mom’s life.
The way she spoke, it sounded like they had something really special, so I can only imagine he would want to be a part of that, despite how many years have passed. Or maybe he’s moved on. Maybe he found someone new, started another family. Or maybe something terrible happened and he’s gone. I won’t know until I find out, but for now, I have to put it on hold.
That only drives me to be more determined in figuring out what the hell is cursing the Oliver witches. It’s mind-blowing that there are no records of it—that no one seems to be able to tell me who did it or how it happened. If the Oliver witches were so powerful and superior to whoever cursed them, how did they allow it to happen?
I guess those are just some of the questions that will continue to plague me.
“Eat up,” Deghan orders. “You’ll need your energy for whatever Walker has planned for you today.”
I finish my eggs, shove the last piece of bacon in my mouth, and wash it down with what’s left of my tea. Somehow, despite having nearly three times the amount of food that I did, Deghan’s plate is clean.
He stacks his tray on top of mine and takes them up where the rest of the dirty ones go.
“My lady,” he beams, holding out his hand. “Away we go.”
I shake my head and smile, nudging Cam and saying, “See you later,” to everyone.
Deghan deposits me with Headmaster Walker, verifying that Walker will be ‘taking over’ and not going to leave me unattended.
“Yes, Deghan.” Walker huffs. “I assure you I will keep an eye on Miss Oliver. Sydney will be joining us shortly, too.”
“Okay, reach out if you need me.” Deghan gives me an awkwardly fast hug like he’s wanting to avoid the public display of affection in front of an authority figure.
“Willow, we’re going to start today in the north wing.” Walker stands, coming around his desk and leaning along the edge. “We have to tackle this from the biggest point of entry, so we’re going to be near where the incident happened. Again, if you want to back out, I can make other arrangements.”
“I’m fine,” I say for what seems to be the millionth time. I appreciate his consideration but if I’m capable of destroying the realm, I should be more than willing to help fix it.
“You and Sydney are incredibly powerful, and your magic balances each other out. You’re the only two students who we’ll be using for this, and I want to make sure you’re aware that at any time you aren’t comfortable, we can stop. The magic you two have is rare, and it will provide us great resources to do the rebuild, but it will be taxing. I want to be transparent with you throughout the whole thing.”
A tiny part of me thinks that we’re being used, but the more realistic part confirms that we are, but not maliciously or unjustly. If we weren’t students and I was merely friends with the staff here, I would still want to help, especially if I was more capable than someone else.
Sydney walks into the room, his eyes a little brighter than yesterday, like he’s actually gotten some rest for a change, the stubble on his face contrasting and bringing out the green of his eyes. “Are we ready?” He hands me a steaming cup of coffee.
“Thanks,” I mouth.
“Yes,” Walker confirms.
One by one, we head to the place it all happened only a matter of days ago.
The moment I feared for my life, I feared for Cameron and Deghan and Sydney and Silas.
I had thought I’d killed Silas. The pain shattering through me so fierce that I screamed and shattered another freaking realm. Apparently, I disintegrated a demon—something of which I’ve been told is a perilous feat. Everyone keeps reiterating how strong and potent my magic is… in reality, I had a temper tantrum that I lost control of. Maybe if I were able to use the power on my own free will, then I would believe I was the great witch people make me out to be.
Sydney slows his pace to walk beside me. “You good?”
I nod. “Yeah, did you get some sleep?”
He smirks. “A little. You?”
“Mmhm.” I sip my drink, the warm vanilla foam tickling my lip.
We step inside the room, Abigail already sitting on a desk, jotting something down on a pad of paper.
“Shut that door if you don’t mind.” She motions.
Sydney shuts the door and comes back to stand next to me, his presence a comfort.
Somehow, the voices have been kept at bay, and I’m not sure whether I should be worried or relieved about that.
She glances from each of us to the next. “Let’s get started.”
Chapter Twelve
I take a breath and prepare for my instruction.
“All we need you to do is sit here and hold Sydney’s hands. It sounds a bit silly, but you both have a large power source, and combined, it will allow us to use that to do the work we need to do. Imagine… we have to paint a wall, but the only way to get the paint is from you and Sydney. You two sit here and make the paint, and Walker and I will use it.” She lowers her head and shakes it. “Wow, that is probably the worse example I’ve ever given in my life.”
“I think I get it. Sit here, hold hands. Got it.”
She pulls out two pairs of earmuffs. “But while wearing these.”
I laugh. “You’re joking.”
“No, I need to make sure that you’re both completely focused on each other, so canceling out any noise is critical to keeping the flow steady.” She hands me one and the other to Sydney. “And last but not least, I need you to try to maintain eye contact.”
“Well, I guess it can’t really get any weirder. Do you want us to get naked, too?” I joke.
Abigail laughs loudly, and her reddish-orange hair bounces with her. “That might be crossing the line.”
Sydney leans in and mutters, “You sure you’re okay with this?”
I sit on the seat Abigail guides me to and watch him follow suit, only across from me. Our knees alternate between each other, and I’m thankful I put some pants on, otherwise, we’d be doing a lot of skin to skin.
“Here.” Abigail scoots a desk to us, giving us a place to rest our arms.
We put the silencers onto our heads and lock eyes.
Sydney puts his hands on the table reluctantly.
I nod and do the same, sliding my hands under his. At first touch, the magic is sharp and electric, a green aura forming around him. My gaze lingers on my hands, up to my arms—the pinkish-purple glitters on my skin. Watching it come into life is truly incredible.
The two swirl together, and without really understanding how, I recognize both coursing through me.
I remember the task at hand and focus my eyes back on Sydney’s. His stare is intense and intimate all in one.
“Wow,” I think, only this time it really is my voice and not the other me, the evil one.
“Yeah,” Sydney s
ays, only not out of his mouth but inside my head.
“You can hear me?” I telepathically ask him.
His mouth turns upward. “I guess so.”
“This is insane, how are we doing this?”
“Must be magic.” He winks.
“Oh my gosh, are you flirting with me?” I beam.
His cheeks flush. “Is it working?”
“Maybe, you’ll have to keep trying and find out.” I do my best attempt to wink back.
“Wow, that might have been the cutest and most pathetic…”
“Hey! You’re not getting any points by making fun of me.”
“You’re right.” He calms his expression. “You doing okay?”
“Well, I found out I was a witch not too long ago, that my family is cursed, that demons and werewolves and vampires exist, that my dad might be a living breathing thing, and that I have an alter ego who is trying to tear me apart from the inside. I’d say it’s a regular old Monday.” I pause. “Plus, the normal teenager stuff. Starting at a new school, making friends, pissing them off, all that fun stuff.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I can’t help but take a little responsibility. I was the one who outed you and all.” His smile is completely erased.
I shake my head slightly, still meeting his glorious eyes. “No, I don’t blame you for one second. You shined the light on my true self and the reality of the world. If anything, I haven’t thanked you enough. Especially all the times you’ve saved my ass. It’s simply going to take some figuring out on my behalf.”
“It’s still so hard to believe you had no idea.”
“You’re telling me. What about you though, did you always know?”
He licks his bottom lip. “For the most part, yeah. I grew up with parents who practiced, so it was always common knowledge, and then when I came into mine, I pretty much knew what to expect. There’s obviously so much you have to experience on your own, but I always knew what I would become.”
The magic between us pulses, picks up its pace. It’s a strange and wonderful sensation.
“What are they like? Your parents?”
“Really strict. They were pretty hard on me growing up. Very formal and stern with their ideas and ways. We don’t often see eye to eye. It’s rare that we ever have. But they’re family, and you’ll learn that family is important to our kind.”
“How was it growing up?”
“If I’m being honest, it was pretty lonely. I spent most of my time face down in books, studying to be better. I always thought that if I read enough, I’d be more powerful than them one day. I didn’t have many friends. My parents made sure of that. They don’t believe in mixing of the species.”
“That’s terrible. You didn’t have any witch friends?”
He shakes his head. “Very few covens are worthy enough in my parents’ eyes, so no.”
“That explains why you hate Silas so much.”
I catch a glance of Abigail waving her arms in my peripheral but do my best to keep my focus ahead, on Sydney.
“Vampires are… how do I say this nicely… they’re a contradiction of nature’s ideologies. And witches are keen on maintaining the balance in nature. Vampires go against that.”
“What about werewolves?”
“Well, werewolves aren’t immortal, and they don’t take quite the number of lives that vampires do.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not trying to persuade you into not liking him. I get it. And it would be a fruitless cause, especially given his circumstance. It’s difficult for me is all.”
“What do you mean his circumstance?”
Cooling energy flushes through me, followed by a warming embrace.
“That’s his story to tell. Let me just say, though, he’s in deep.”
Chapter Thirteen
Over the next few days, we all find our routines.
Silas spends the nights lurking in the shadows of my bedroom, not daring to bridge the gap and come close again. It pains me that he’s holding back, that he’s so resistant to letting me in. My soul aches for his in an unexplainable kind of way.
Each morning, I wake to Deghan, and he’s all tickles and joy. Deep down, I can sense he’s as broken as the rest of us but does a better job of hiding it.
Cameron is a master at being a beautiful disaster, too. He is there at every meal, sure to check on me and confirm that everything is going okay. He pops up in the evening, bringing me snacks and keeping my energy flowing. He’s selfless and kind and such a pure soul, despite the sadness that lingers within him.
Sydney and I spend most of the days together, our gazes and hands on each other, telepathically conversing about all the things. Sometimes it’s serious, like curses and magic, other times it’s about food and music and normal people stuff.
In the afternoons, I often get breaks to work on non-realm-related things. I take that time to study for the final exams that are coming up, or scouring the texts in the library for any hint of what’s happening to me.
The voice comes and goes, telling me horrible things that I fear. There’s a part of me that realizes it’s the curse, but with each threatening word, a small piece of me shatters into an unbreakable form. A thick and heavy cloak of sadness is steadily built, and despite the efforts of everyone around me, I find it more and more difficult to carry.
I do the thing I’m well aware I shouldn’t do, I tell no one.
I put on a smile and go about my life. Helping repair the shadow realm, even though it’s causing more damage by the day. Continuing my studies and research. Spending time with my guards and making an effort to chat with the girls when I can.
Each passing day, I find myself slipping further away, and I’m in too deep to do a damn thing about it.
Currently, Sydney sits across from me, down in the dungeon of the supernatural part of the library.
Our time together has formed this strange, invisible bond. I grow close to him and revel in the comfort of his presence.
His flirting has only increased, the ability to say things privately giving him a type of confidence he doesn’t have in the space outside our minds.
It’s not obnoxious or outlandish, though. His remarks are cute and witty, and I think sometimes they surprise both of us.
He glances up from his text. “You’d get more work done if you stopped staring at me.”
I don’t say anything, but instead, continue to gawk, a grin forming.
Sydney leans back and crosses his arms over his chest. “What is it?”
I shake my head. “Nothing, get back to work.”
“It’s safe to say I know you well enough by now that that look is most definitely not nothing.”
I bite my lip to hide my smile, my stupid eyes betraying it all.
He stands, coming around the table, leaning down and putting his hands on the armrest of my chair. “Tell me.” He stares dead into my eyes, the same way we’ve spent so much time doing this week. He takes my hands into his, and the magic between us courses immediately.
I don’t protest. I can only imagine it’s similar to a form of ecstasy when they mix.
He kneels in front of me. “Tell me.” His words appear in my head.
I fight back my rampant thoughts. I can’t figure them out myself, let alone tell him. My mind becomes a mess of a million things all at once.
He blushes, perhaps solving the puzzle himself. Letting go of one hand, but still holding onto the other, he tucks a stray strand of silver hair behind my ear. “I like you, too.” His emerald eyes melt into mine with such a passion and intensity but still maintain a calm and thoughtful demeanor.
“You do?” The words bubble out of my mouth.
He looks down to my lips, and I swallow the nervous energy down.
Leaning forward, he gently cups my face in his hands, pausing to ask a silent permission.
I give him exactly that, closing my eyes and bridging the gap, our noses grazing and our lips touching that m
uch more delicately. It’s sweet and soft and fucking perfect.
He maintains such control, stopping after one completely flawless kiss.
My heart stutters out of my chest, desperate for more.
His eyes don’t break from mine for a second. “Back to work.” Sydney kisses my nose and stands, walking back to his side of the table.
I sit there, in awe of how that went down. At the beginning of the school year, I thought Sydney hated my guts, and here we are, exchanging decadent kisses and staring into each other’s eyes all day.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
A few minutes pass, and I shut my book in defeat. “How in the hell are you getting anything done right now?” I should damn well be focused on the task at hand, but it’s incredibly difficult given the circumstances.
He focuses on me with a smile. “I’m more productive with you around. And I’ve told myself if I can find the thing I’m looking for, I might reward myself.”
“Reward?” I stare at him with narrowed eyes.
“Mmhmm.” He shifts back down to the book in his hand, running his finger along with the text. Triumphantly, he pokes the page. “Ah-ha. Here we are. I freaking knew it.”
“Knew what?” I stand and try to take a peek at his discovery.
He smiles, something he doesn’t do all that often. It’s bright and warm and radiant. Sydney sets the text down, careful not to close the page, and trails his hand on the table, making his way to me. He continues to glide his fingers up my arm, sending figurative sparks flying.
I meet his gaze, and this time, maintaining his control but with more urgency, he thrusts his lips onto mine, slow and steady.
He barrels into me, and we stagger backward. I put my hands down to steady myself, our mouths dancing in unison. One of his hands wraps around my face, the other slides down my back.
A loud alarm sounds, completely disrupting the moment. Sydney slowly moves back, resting his forehead on mine, taking in a hefty breath.
“Saved by the bell,” he whispers and then kisses me once more.
I’m left there practically panting while he reaches across the table for his phone.
