Joey, who used to be Josephine, was hunting. Hunting for traces of magic, using her own in little spurts to leave a trail to be found. It was too bad she wouldn’t be around for long; the salt in the air and the sun on her skin mixed with the tidal wave of magic flowing through her body was more than she could describe. It was intoxicating.
The game stands were calling, “Come on! It’s easy! Win a prize and find a lucky lady to give it to!” She couldn’t help but laugh. If they only knew.
“Sure, why not.” The sound of her voice still surprised her with its deep almost gravely tone.
Joey stepped up to the game and looked at it closely. All she had to do was knock down the milk jugs with one ball. Seemed easy enough. She handed over three dollars and the game attendant handed her the ball. The softball felt light in her hand as she threw it toward the target. Only three of the six jugs clattered to the floor.
“Want to try again?”
“Sure,” she said with a grin and handed over three more dollars. As Joey released the ball this time, she channeled just a touch of her magic into it. She watched, almost as if in slow motion, as the ball flew through the air to the jugs. Just as the ball touched the jugs, her eyes narrowed and the magic humming under her skin seeped from her pores and shot into the jugs along with the ball. The jugs shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.
“Cool!” she cheered. She hoped that was the appropriate male response.
“How did you do that?” the attendant asked as he continued to stare at the shatters on the ground.
“Luck, I guess. So I get a prize, right?”
‘Yeah, just pick whatever.” His voice was still bewildered as he began to sweep up what remained of the jugs.
“That one.” Joey pointed at the largest bear in the top corner.
“That one is if you win three in a row.”
“Sure, I think I could do that two more times. But then what would you use for the rest of the day?” Joey indicated to the only other two setups the game had behind the attendant.
“Right, never mind.” He reached up and unhooked the bear that was almost as big as the man himself. “Here.”
Joey took the bear and felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle. She was being watched. It was time.
She walked away, carrying the bear like a trophy and smiling whenever someone would comment on it. She felt as whoever was following her was getting closer and closer. So, to make sure they believed her to be Joey, the boy with magic and no one to teach him, she spotted a pretty girl and approached.
“Would you like this? I won it back there and have no one to give it to.” She had never flirted before. She just hoped she was doing it right.
“Why would I want that?” the girl asked. She was surrounded by a group of girls. All of them beautiful and wearing tiny jean shorts and bikini tops. Joey was taken by surprise at first, but took a deep breath and pushed on... this time with a little magical help.
“Because you are a beautiful girl, and I am irresistible to you.” Her voice was laced with invisible little threads of allure that only she and anyone who might be watching and who had the same abilities could see.
Joey watched as all the girls attitudes changed and they were fighting over the bear. Apparently, he used a bit too much. It flowed over the whole group instead of just the intended target.
“Excuse me, ladies. I have to pull my friend here away.” A deep timber of a voice sounded behind her. It was all she could do to not shiver from the pleasure that seeped beneath her skin and called to her on a more instinctual level. She could feel his power, and it made hers soar with approval. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to not react and to turn and be Joey—not Josephine.
“Is that so, friend?” she asked, and then set the bear on the boardwalk in front of the girls, turning to see who the voice belonged to. He was towering over her and wearing board shorts that hung low on his hips. His chest was perfectly muscled, and the blond hair fell into his face in such a way that with a flick of his head, it moved to reveal ice blue eyes.
“Yes, it is. Come on, I need to talk to you.” He nodded with his head away from the girls to the steps that lead to the beach. Joey gave a single nod and headed for the ocean.
Once they were far enough from another person, Joey spoke. “So, friend, perhaps I should know your name?”
He laughed. Her heart skipped a beat. “I guess that’s only fair. Will Orsino. And you are?”
She watched his lips as he spoke and almost missed his question. She wondered if he felt it too and was just much better at hiding his reaction.
“Joey Cesario. Now with that out of the way, what can I do for you?” She hoped her voice was steady and wasn’t a quivering mess like her nerves were. She had to be strong.
“I think we may have some things in common. I wanted to ask if you came here with a purpose or if you were simply alone and passing through?”
“My purpose was to enjoy the beach. What things in common are you referring to? My love of the water or my way with the ladies?”
“More of how you enticed them back there. And how you shattered the game with a single look.”
“And how do you suppose I did that?” Joey didn’t think it was normal to come right out and say yes, I have magic. Especially if he was supposedly alone and had no one. She thought someone in that position would keep a secret like that closely guarded if he wasn’t aware of others with the same power. At least, that’s what Sarra and her mother had told her before putting her on the bus.
“The same way I can do this.” Will lifted his hand slightly and the sand between them started to rise up and swirl and then finally came to settle in the perfect shape of a snow man... or sand man? Either way, it was cute.
“I see. I suppose we do have some things in common.” Joey, never one to be out done, swished her fingers and watched as Will’s snowman separated into each individual sand grain and reform, along with a bit more from their feet, into an intricate sandcastle, complete with trench ready to be filled with water to create a mote.
“Impressive.”
“I thought a sandcastle would be a little less conspicuous.” Joey knew he was smiling, she just hoped it was a man’s smile... it would be, wouldn’t it? She looked like a boy and sounded like a boy, so her smile shouldn’t give her away. She forced herself to stop just in case and moved toward the water. She slipped off her flip flops and walked in just far enough that the waves lapped at her feet. Will followed behind, not saying a word.
“Do you have anyone? I mean, like a family or someone to teach you how to really control your power?”
“Nope. Grew up in foster care. Don’t know who my real parents are, and when my foster father saw me light the garage on fire with just a glare in his direction, that was it. Out I went.”
“You tried to light him on fire?” His voice was high-pitched and his eyes narrowed. She could feel his apprehension rolling off him in waves. It was a practiced story. One she knew by heart, almost to the extent that she could feel the hatred to this non-existent foster father.
“No. That was before I knew I was doing it all. The broken dishes, the constant winning at anything, making the kid next door’s dog disappear while he was crapping on our lawn. He was yelling at me for something and I just got so angry and then poof. Fire in the garage. He put it out and there were only a few things burned. But either way. It scared him.”
“Wow. That’s horrible. So how did you learn?”
“After that, I just started to focus on what I wanted to happen and it did. Can’t tell you much more.”
“Do you want to meet others like us? My coven. Men of all ages who grew up knowing about their magic. They might be able to answer some questions for you.”
“Are you sure they would be okay with you bringing in an outsider? I’m not walking into a death trap here, am I?”
“No. Our coven consists of all warlocks. Because of that, we have to bring in others to help our coven gro
w. When our leaders have children, only some of them have magical powers and only those who are male are allowed in. If we didn’t bring in outsiders, our coven would have died out long ago. Just don’t be surprised if they start with a ton of questions.”
And just like that, Joey had completed the first step of her mission.
Chapter 3
Joey and Will walked along the beach for a good twenty minutes, all the while trying to best each other with little tricks of magic. When Joey ended up soaked from a magical wave gone wrong, it took everything for her not to levitate him right into the ocean. She could do it if she wanted to, but showing that much magic probably wouldn’t be a good idea. So instead, she just laughed it off and called a truce. Plus, she shouldn’t give her mind any more ammo—seeing him soaking wet walking out of the water like some beach model wouldn’t help her ignore the attraction growing within her.
“Here we go.” Will walked toward what appeared to be a solid wall made of rocks in the cliff side. But Joey could see the magic vibrating off it like a beacon of light alerting passing ships of costal danger. “The glamor is so strong only those in our coven can find it. I promise it’s right through here.”
Joey didn’t say anything. Perhaps the incredible amount of magic that flowed through her was the reason she could see the true doorway so clearly. So she followed without a word. They walked through the rocks after taking a look around for any one passing by. When they stepped through the magic veil, a shiver ran through her.
Once inside, it looked like any other home. There were no damp dark halls or dirt pathways. She laughed a little as she looked around. It was normal. Completely normal.
“What? Not expecting to walk into my house? We live here. There is a street address on the other side, but that part is completely cut off from this one. Come on, let’s go meet Deacon.”
There were men everywhere. Some looked as young as twelve or thirteen; some were hobbled over with canes and had grey hair. But one thing was certain—there was more magic running through those halls than she had ever felt amongst her own coven’s meeting place.
“Do you all live together?”
“We do. A coven is stronger together than apart. As warlocks, we leave our blood family to join this one. What is more natural than to live as a family?”
“I guess that makes sense.” She didn’t really know what to say. Her coven didn’t live together. They thought it to conspicuous, too dangerous to have all their magic in one home. But what were they doing now? They were putting all of their magic into one vessel—her.
Deep voices grew louder as they moved down the picture lined hall. Visions of camping trips and snap shots from around the house were framed and hung with care. It made her smile.
“Will! Who is this?” a tall man with greying hair asked as he stepped out of the room at the end of the hall.
“Darren, this is Joey. He’s like us. Doesn’t have a family.”
“Well, Joey, it is nice to meet you. Come in, come in. Meet the others.”
Surprised that she wasn’t questioned before being brought in, had her feeling a little paranoid. Was she walking into a trap? Could they see through her glamour? Will clearly wasn’t powerful enough, but perhaps Darren was. She herself could see the glimmer of magic floating off each man she passed. She could see the magical veil that kept their entry a secret from the rest of the world, but Will couldn’t. With sweaty palms, a racing heart, and a deep breath in, she followed.
“Don’t stress. It’s no big deal,” Will breathed into her ear. Traitorous shivers ran through her skin when his warm breath washed over the side of her face. All she could do was give a stiff nod, acknowledging his words. She needed to focus on the task at hand, not how some boy made her insides take flight like a flock of birds.
At the end of the hall was a large sitting room with bookshelves and couches and a few ugly chairs. They were all big and looked comfortable, but they definitely would never have set foot in her mother’s house or the coven meeting space. And not a single piece of furniture matched. About ten men sat around reading or talking, but once they stepped in, silence fell over the room.
“Deacon should be along soon. He had some business to attend to, but let me introduce you to the others.”
Darren, Joey, and Will went around the room for the next two hours talking to the men of the coven. They all seemed really nice and surprisingly held normal everyday jobs out in the world. The coven was their family, and their jobs all helped in some way. Lawyers, farmers, medical assistants, and even an accountant.
She knew it was getting late, and she had yet to meet the coven leader. The room was emptying at an alarming rate, and she was expecting to be escorted out at any moment. Instead of waiting for an invitation to stay with them, she started to look through the books on the shelves. Not a single book about magic. Not one. Disappointment flooded her, but she knew she shouldn’t have expected it to be that easy.
Pulling a random book off the shelf, she sat on one of the now empty couches and started to read. After fifteen minutes or so, she pretended to drift to sleep and just listened.
“How did you meet him?” Darren whispered.
“On the beach. He was oozing magic. Being really overt with it, too. I didn’t want him making people suspicious. He shattered one of the boardwalk games, and then he was almost mauled by a group of girls when his allure spell went a little haywire. He has no idea how to be discreet or how to really control it. Plus, he was a foster. He has no one.”
“I can see why you want to help him, but bringing someone here? Without speaking to Deacon first? It’s dangerous. He can stay the night, but tomorrow, he will have to meet with Deacon. You know his word is final.”
“Should I wake him?”
“Yes, take him to your room. That way, I have a chance to talk to Deacon before he sees him.”
Joey tried to keep her face as calm as possible. She knew she wasn’t truly in until she met with the coven leader, but now she was worried. Had Will just screwed up her chance of completing the mission by inviting her in too soon? Will Deacon send her away simply because he didn’t invite her himself?
Warm pressure on her shoulder as Will began to shake her. It wasn’t a caress like girls would want. It wasn’t gentle like a boy waking a girl. She wouldn’t let disappointment in. She couldn’t. Her mission might already be compromised. She couldn’t let hurt girl feelings get in the way. Besides, Will didn’t even know she was a girl. She reminded herself of that. He won’t ever actually like her because she wasn’t a she to him.
Playing along, she turned and stretched, opening one eye to see Will staring down at her. “Oh, sorry. I’ll head out.”
“No, you can stay here. Just come up to my room for now. Deacon will be home late, and you can talk to him tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? I mean, there’s a hostel not too far from here.”
“Shut up. Come on.”
So she did.
Chapter 4
Deacon never made it back that night. Or in all the nights since. The whole coven was in panic mode, but no one kicked Joey out. It had been weeks. Weeks with this coven, learning the ins and outs of how they worked. Getting to know the men in a way she never thought possible.
She liked them.
But most of all, she liked Will. And she hated that her mind kept wandering to him, instead of finding the grimoire. It had been too long. She was due back any day with book in hand.
But the question now was could she actually do it? She had been accepted into the fold. She was part of their little coven family. No, they didn’t really know her. And no, she hadn’t been accepted by their missing leader, but it didn’t change how they treated her.
She didn’t want to see them hurt. And that was completely strange. Growing up with the family history and hatred of this coven should have made her disgusted to have to stay as long as she had. But instead, it opened her eyes. They weren’t plotting to attack her coven. They hardly ev
er actually did any magic at all, really. They were perfectly happy straddling the line of the human way of life and the warlock way. What was so wrong about that?
Joey was pulled from her thoughts when Will walked into the bedroom with just a towel slung low around his hips. Her eyes narrowed on his body and her mouth began to salivate.
“What?” Will asked. Joey shook her head to clear her thoughts and excused herself from the room.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
She needed to leave more than just the room. She needed to get out of there. She needed to get some fresh air. She grabbed the kitchen trash and headed out to the dumpster. Might as well help out. Plus it gave her a good excuse to leave. She didn’t think ‘because I was in love with Will and he was nearly naked and I’m supposed to be a guy’ would actually be a good answer if questioned.
She left through the normal front door. The non-magical one that led to the street just a few blocks from the ocean. Since it was the middle of summer, the city was alive with activity. Cars lined the street, people lined the sidewalks, and music floated on the air.
Joey passed through the groups of people, her head completely in another place. She didn’t know what to do any more. The magic under her skin buzzed with a need to be released, and the deep rooted feeling in her heart ached with unease.
Instead of heading to the boardwalk, Joey walked the opposite direction. She wanted the beach, but she didn’t want anyone else around. She wanted to find a place to be alone so she could find a way to ease her mind, her body, and her heart.
After an hour of walking along the sandy shore, she could no longer see a single person. Stripping out of her clothes (thanks to her manly body), she walked straight into the water. She dipped below a wave and opened her eyes to the world beneath the water. She swam deeper and deeper, allowing her magic to feed her lungs until she couldn’t any longer. When Joey resurfaced, she was so far from the shore the rocky cliffs were just a dot in the distance.
Never Be Younger: A YA Anthology Page 15
