Hidden Magic

by Melinda Kucsera

  “That was brilliant.” Nick chuckled as he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips to place a kiss on it.

  Baxter straightened, running a hand through his bleach-blonde hair while looking at the kitten and me again. Shaking his head, a sly grin lightened his features before he broke into a full-on laugh.

  “If that doesn’t get you an A plus and make Professor Callister piss himself, I don’t know what will. I can’t wait to see it!”

  It had only been a few weeks but I was beginning to notice a change in my magic. Sadly, I wished I had noticed it sooner. Most witches notice an increase in their powers before they were asked to sign the book of the coven but I seemed to be experiencing more than most but I kept shrugging it off. Maybe I could have controlled things better if I hadn’t ignored it, but there was no reason to focus on the things that didn’t happen.

  Once a witch reached seventeen, they were mostly grown into all the known powers they would eventually master. Yes, practice and age brought about greater and more powerful magic, but it was rare, unheard of even for a witch to come into new, completely different powers so late in life. So the fact that I seemed to be developing them was rather... disconcerting.

  I was in the chem lab with Nick working on a project and I could barely concentrate. It was part of our final mark of the year but to be honest, I wasn’t worried about it. I didn’t mean to brag but academics came as easy to me as magic. It was social stuff that usually left me floundering. Yet here I was, dating one of the most popular guys in school, and I had an absolutely fabulous friend in Bess too.

  Nick was blathering on about Willow again, just as he had been for the last week or so. It really started to grate on me. Having my boyfriend ramble on about another girl was not something I wanted to hear about. Yes, Willow seemed to be a great girl and a lovely addition to our group, but she spent an awful lot of time with Nick. I reminded myself that they had a lot of classes together and that she didn’t know anyone here, but that didn’t make me feel any better. Naturally, Nick’s knight-in-shining-armor personality kicked in and he wanted to help her. Sad thing was, he seemed to be spending more time with her than with me, his girlfriend. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, didn’t want to sound like the clingy jealous girlfriend but it hurt, and it bothered me way more than I was letting on.

  Gotta be close to that time of the month or something. I am way too freakin’ emotional today.

  I sniffed, gently wiping my hand under my eyes to keep from crying. Yeah, I was way too sensitive about everything today. The sky outside had been bright and sunny but had darkened, big, fat raindrops pouring down from the sky.

  “Darn, the weather has been crazy lately,” Nick said, the words coming out slow as if the conditions outside puzzled him, which I was sure they did.

  “Yeah, strange for sure,” I agreed, my emotions stabilizing. As I gained control over myself, so did the weather. My mind stilled even as one thought fluttered through it. Could I be the source of this bizarre weather? At that crazy idea, my heartbeat sped up and my hands trembled. There was no way that could be true. It wasn’t one of my power sets.

  “Hey, you okay there?” Nick asked, a note of concern in his voice. He wrapped an arm around me and hauled me close, kissing the top of my head.

  See, nothing to worry about. I’m just being silly. Glad I didn’t say anything about him talking about Willow so much, I thought, sighing happily in his arms.

  “We’re all set, girl! It’s going to be the last dance of our lives!” Bess crowed, spinning and swirling around her room.

  I sat on her bed and laughed at her. “I hope it isn’t the last dance! One of the best ones sure, but not the last!” Still laughing, I threw a pillow at her.

  She caught it with ease, hugging it close. “We have everything all planned. It has been forever in the making and you know it! And I can’t believe Baxter finally asked me to go!” Dramatically, she dropped to the bed beside me, a dreamy smile plastered on her face.

  “Don’t make me smoother you! If I hear one more time about how dreamy and what a good kisser that boy is I will scream,” I teased her, shoving my shoulder into her and making her fall over.

  “I can’t help it, Sky! He is! Took him long enough, though.” She giggled. “I thought he was going to make me ask him. How unclassy would that have been?”

  Bess could be a tad bit outrageous in her beliefs. She had open views on almost everything in life, but things like that—having to ask a boy to prom—would have hurt her sensibilities. It was one thing she was old-fashioned about.

  “You could have asked him and you know it. He has worshipped you forever.”

  “He has, hasn’t he?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Wait till he sees my dress. He’ll be on his knees declaring his devotion with no thought at all.”

  I couldn’t help the full belly laugh that escaped at her words, and I doubled over while she joined me.

  “Are you and Nick all set, too?” she asked, propping herself up on one hand and turning to her side so she could look at me.

  Shifting my head to look at her, I nodded. “Yes, all set. You already know that, though, you goofball. You’ve been planning everything!”

  She smirked. “I know but I just wanted to make sure.” She paused, a frown marring her pretty features as she shoved a hand through her strawberry-blonde hair. I didn’t miss the flash of concern in her ice-blue eyes.

  “What? What’s wrong?” I immediately asked, sitting up straight.

  “Well … I was just wondering what was going on with Willow?” she asked in a gentle voice.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “What do you mean?”

  “She’s been spending a lot of time with Nick, don’t you think? Do you think there is anything going on there?” she asked. The look on her face told me she hated asking, but because she was my friend, she wouldn’t shy away from the hard stuff. I knew that already.

  I froze, my heart stuck in my throat from her words. Part of me wished I could just disappear. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about but then, anger swam through me. “Ugh, whatever! Nick is my boyfriend!”

  The house shook like a small earthquake had taken over, the windows rattled, books were knocked off her shelf. I was quaking in fright. The house kept shaking, Bess and I were hugging each other close, trembling in fear as we screamed every time the house shook. As my anger fled, the rumbling quake stopped. It left as quickly as it had happened, only a matter of seconds. Breathing heavy, and very spooked by it, I hopped off the bed and grabbed my bookbag.

  “I’m going to head home. See ya tomorrow, Bess.” I practically ran out the door, barely hearing her goodbye.

  It was a half-day at school because of prom. The flurry of excitement was contagious. I could practically feel the energy in the air. Some witches could probably even see it. It was like little hits of energy, like when a foot fell asleep and woke up—the pins and needles feeling. Not as unpleasant, though.

  Bess was flying high, rambling about getting makeup and hair done. She even made sure Baxter’s tux was confirmed, and spoke to everyone else to make sure all the arrangements had been made. She was like a whirlwind. I couldn’t help but shake my head at her and let her go to it. There was no stopping her.

  When the last bell rang, she grabbed my hand and practically dragged me toward the door. I barely managed to grab my things.

  “Come on girl! Every minute counts. Everything has to be perfect!” she exclaimed.

  Her energy was infectious and I couldn’t help but smile with her. She hadn’t brought up Willow again today—a fact that made happiness swell inside me. I didn’t want to talk about how much time Nick had been spending with her. I wanted him all to myself tonight. This was our senior prom and everything was going to be perfect.

  Until it wasn’t. We ran out of the school and into the parking lot. It was there that everything came to a standstill. My heart felt like it stopped beating.

  Beside me, Bes
s gasped, her feet scraping the concrete as she halted. “Oh, Sky. Oh, Sky, I am so, so sorry.” Her arm felt like weights coming around me in a show of support.

  In front of us, right beside the new Jeep his parents got him as an early graduation present, Nick stood, his arms wrapped around Willow and their lips pressed together in an intimate kiss. Pulling away from her, a loving look shining from his eyes as he gazed upon her, he reached up and traced the back of his fingers down the length of her cheek, cupping her chin as he tilted it up to kiss her again.

  My stomach rolled and I thought I might be sick. Swallowing hard, I did my best to not throw up right where I stood. As fast as the sickness had overtaken me, the anger came even quicker. It took everything in me to hold back the scream of rage trying to rise from my throat. What in the name of the Great Divine? Nick is mine! Mine! How could this be happening? What did I do to deserve this?

  “What the ever-loving..?” I yelled, unable to finish my sentence; I was so stunned and I couldn’t move any closer. In that moment, I had no idea what I might do, and the last thing I needed was to accidentally set her pretty curls on fire.

  At my words and the sound of my voice, they jumped apart, Willow blushing ten shades of red. Fidgeting, she brushed the curls away from her face, straightening her blouse and looking at the ground. Nick looked dumbfounded, like a fish flopping on the bank so close to the water but unable to get back in. His eyes moved from Willow to me and back continuously.

  Sweet goddess, he’s still touching her even though he’s been caught. He is supposed to be mine! My thoughts raced in my head as my breathing came faster. I had a feeling if it kept up, I was going to hyperventilate.

  “Let me explain, Sky,” he started, one hand reaching out in supplication as he took a few steps toward me, finally releasing Willow. A frightened look passed over the girl’s face, and she looked right at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Why the heck is she crying? She’s a boyfriend-stealing hussy. I’m the one who gets to be upset here!

  Not able to look at her a second longer, my gaze turned to Nick, who had gotten much closer now.

  I raised my hand out for him to stop where he was. “Don’t come near me. You don’t need to explain anything, Nick. Seems rather obvious, don’t you think?” My voice shook with my anger, and every word I said grew louder until I was shouting. The clouds that had once been white turned black, and the ground shook under my feet. “You were kissing someone other than your girlfriend! You freaking cheater!” I screamed.

  Both Willow and Nick flinched. My words made Willow cry even harder, but I didn’t care. My eyes fell to my hand where the pretty jade promise ring Nick had given me on my sixteenth birthday sat. I ripped it from my finger like it burned my skin now. In almost two years, I had barely taken it off. It had meant that much to me. Now it just reminded me of betrayal. Of pain. The most excruciating pain I’d ever felt in my life.

  “So much for your useless broken promises, eh?” My voice was low and menacing. “Here’s your ring. Maybe Willow would like to have it now.”

  I threw it, and it hit him in the chest where he somehow managed to catch it. His eyes widened as if it had finally dawned on him what a colossal mess he had made. I didn’t wait to see anything else. Spinning on my heel, I held my chin high and walked away even though I wanted nothing more but to run. But I wouldn’t give him any more of myself. Leaving with my dignity intact, I took deep breaths and stepped away from the worst situation of my life like a regal queen.

  Jordan and Baxter had been standing almost right behind us and I hadn’t known until I turned around. They both looked stunned and angry at the same time. Jordan—Nick’s slightly older brother by five minutes—had his face scrunched in disgust while his fists were clenched at his sides.

  “I am so sorry Sky. I had no idea my own brother could be such a rotten prick.” Jordan’s deep voice vibrated with barely-controlled rage.

  He grabbed me into a tight hug. It was all-encompassing as if he could protect me from the world. Baxter’s hand gripped my shoulder, too, squeezing as I pressed into Jordan’s chest. Inhaling his essence, I let myself feel safe in his arms for a minute, but I needed to get away before I feel apart—something I’d never be able to recover from if it happened.

  Gently pulling away with a hand on his chest, I met his eyes. Tears threatening to fall, I let him see the raw emotion in my face. “I can’t stay Jordan. I have to go.” My tone came out soft, controlled, everything I wasn’t feeling but managed to convey I was.

  I saw pity in his eyes as he searched my face. Love replaced it as he nodded before he squeezed me again, kissed my forehead, and released me.

  “I won’t let him near you. Go.” His eyes moved to his twin, and I spared a glance over my shoulder to find a panicked look in Nick’s eyes. When Willow reached for him and took his hand as if to hold him back, he shook her off.

  “Thank you, Jordan. Baxter.” I nodded to him too, and he nodded back.

  “Go. We got this,” Baxter said, giving my hand a squeeze before patting my back while scooting me in the direction of the door.

  I took a deep breath and moved my feet, walking away.

  “Sky! Sky, wait!” I heard Nick yell.

  Grunts of pain and scuffling sounds came next, but I didn’t stop.

  “Let me go, Jordan. Sky, wait!”

  “Don’t you dare move. I think you’ve done enough damage for today, don’t you?” Jordan growled.

  Then Bess shouted, “You’re a…a…I can’t think of a word good enough to describe what a horrible person you are right now, Nicholas Cromwell!” The fury in her voice shocked even me, so I couldn’t imagine how Nick felt so close to that anger. “How could you do this? She is the best thing that has ever happened to you in your life and you just mucked it up six ways from Sunday. And on prom day no less! And you! You conniving little floozy...”

  I heard the resounding smack of a hand hitting flesh and knew that Bess had slapped Willow. I almost smirked. Okay, maybe I did a little…

  After that, I moved too far away to hear anymore, for which I was grateful. Finally alone, I picked up speed, not worried about anyone thinking me weak. As soon as I felt safe, I let the tears fall, and the rain poured outside at the same time, nearly blinding me as I made my getaway.

  How had today, a day that was supposed to be perfect, gone south so fast?

  It didn’t matter now. What happened couldn’t be undone, and my heart had already broken into a thousand tiny, shattered pieces.

  I didn’t remember making it home. I did remember slamming the door and racing to my room, though. Shouts from my mother asking me what was wrong followed me to my room, where I slammed the door with much more force than was needed. After I locked it and threw an extra ward spell over the knob to ensure nobody would get in, I fell to my bed, sobbing.

  The weather outside my window continued to rage. My cell phone rang, and I knew it was probably Bess. My parents knocked at my door, demanding entrance to find out what was going on, so I turned on my music and cranked it up, ignoring it all.

  Amid the crying I heard Bess come to my door, pleading for me to allow her in, but I told her to go away, to go and have fun at prom because there was no way I’d go now. She begged for a long time, then she threatened me, but in the end she finally gave up.

  “I’ll be texting and calling later. You darn well better answer, Stratan.” I knew she was mad when she called me by my last name. It almost made me smile.

  “Maybe,” I answered, wiping tears from my face with the back of my hand as I reached for a tissue to blow my nose.

  “Darn right you will girl,” she replied, and then in a softer voice she said, “I love you. You know that, right? I’m always here for you.”

  Hot tears stained my cheeks again. “I love you too, Bess. Now go. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I heard her hand tap slightly at the door. “Forever and always girl.”

  “Forever and always,”
I whispered, the sound of her footsteps carrying her away from my door, though her whispers to my parents were clear when she told them what had happened.

  When I was all cried out, the rain stopped, the wind died down, and I fell into an exhausted sleep.

  Life changed after that day. My parents realized what was going on magic wise and set about explaining it to me the following day. I was a weather witch. An extremely powerful one at that.

  They sat with me in the kitchen, my mother hovering with a sympathetic smile on her face that made me want to scream. She placed coffee in front of me.

  Wrapping my hands around my favorite large coffee mug, I smiled at her like she wanted me to. Even though I didn’t feel the emotion at all. “Thank you.”

  She just nodded, sitting beside my father. Her hair in a perfect chignon, she always looked impeccable, even when she wore jeans and a blouse. She looked graceful as she wrapped an arm through his and leaned close. A united front. My father looked to her with such affection that my heart ached. That was what I had thought Nick and I shared. Or we had. Anger swirled in my gut again. The wind started to pick up.

  Mom gasped and clutched at my father a little bit tighter.

  “You need to calm down, Sky. You’re going to get hurt or hurt someone else if you don’t start managing your emotions.” My father was gruff, his features almost looked annoyed. I hated the look he gave me when his eyebrows furrowed in disapproval and his mouth stretched into a thin line, like he was scolding me when I was little.

  Eyes wide, I stared at him in shock. My grip on the mug tightened, and as my agitation grew, the coffee started to boil. It popped and spewed over the sides, burning my fingers before I could move away.

  “Holy crap!” I screeched, shoving the mug and myself away from the table.

  My mother raced around the table to grab my hands.

  “It’s okay, love. I’ve got you.” Her voice was soft and calming as she took my hands in hers.