“Saffron says it didn’t work. But I’m not sure we can trust her fully. I think she’sprobablyfine.Butwecan’triskbeingwrong.Notwithwhat’shappening.
Notonblindfaith.Let’sseewhatyougot.”
“What did you see?” Felix asked as I stood, wobbled, and then caught my balance.
“I’mnotsureitwasreal.”
“But what did you see?” he pressed, not letting me shrug off the horror I’d seenwiththehopethatitwasn’treal.
“Isawakid,buriedinabox,withsomesortoftubingforair.”
“Oh my gods,” Chrysie breathed. “That’s worse than being murdered and beingturnedintoavampire.”
Cyrus’s mouth opened, but he said nothing. Felix rose as soon as he’d
digestedwhatIsaid,hecrossedtogetthelistJessiehadcreatedbefore,andhe broughtitback.Therewasadeterminationonhisfacethatshowedthestrength ofhiswill.Hisjawwasdefineddespitehisgoatee,andeverythingabouthimhad changed—justforaninstant—fromslackertohero.
“Weneedtobesurethistime,”Felixsaid,“thatit’llwork.Wecan’tleavethe childthere.Wecan’tscrewup.”
“Not when someone is buried alive,” Jessie agreed, her own determination was back, and she nodded once. Then she rubbed her hands over her face and boundherlongredhairupintoabunontopofherheadandstartedmutteringto herself.Shewasn’treallyspeakingtoanyonewhenshebeganlistingwhereeach ofthespellshadcomefromandwhattheyhadbeenusedfor.
“Is there a spell that can track a rune?” I was tapping my fingers, trying to figureoutwhattodonext.
“Well…” Jessie cocked her head and then said, “Yes. But I didn’t copy that onedown.”
“Canyoufinditagain?”
Jessienoddedandsaid,“Ineedaridetothelibrary.”
Cyrussaid,“I’llgowithyou.Weshouldn’tbealone.Notnow…”
“You should get some stuff and stay here, Cy,” Felix said. “The wards on Marthaarebetterthananysecurityyoumighthave.”
Cyrus nodded and walked after Jessie who was muttering about the color of thebookwhereshe’dfoundtherunetrackingspell.
“Areyouok?”Chrysieaskedoncetheothertwoweregone.
Inodded,alie,andthenranupthestairstomyworkroomtoshufflethrough my potions. I had a weird collection of them since I loved to brew and made stuffIneverexpectedtousejusttoseeifIcould.Ihadnoideawhattotake.I wassofaroutofmydepththatIwasdrowning.Godsandmonsters,itwasone thing to be a cute little coven with college kids who did things like called familiarstothemormadespelledcandlesandenergypotions.
Itwasanotherthingtotakehalf-trainedwitchesafteradarkwitch.Weneeded help,butCaptainFinnywasajerkandanecromancer.ItrustedthePresidiumas farasIcouldthrowthem.Saffronwasshadygivenshe’dcometotownandgone straight to the closest dark witches house—who just happened to be related to her.
Gods.Monsters.Ididn’tknowwhattodo.Notintheleast.ThelasttimeI’d faced a dark magic spell, we ended up passed out on the pavement. We were luckytobealiveafterthatandwellIknewit.
“Areyoualright?”Felixaskedfromthedoorwaytomyrooms.
Ilookedtowardshimwithoutreallyseeinghim.AndthenIfinallysaid,“You
know that part in the hero movies, when they walk into danger, knowing they won’tcomeout?”
“Yeah,”Felixsaid,hisfaceexpressionless.
Imethisgazeandsaid,“We’renottheSuicideSquad.OrtheAvengers.We’re collegestudentswithabilitiesthataren’tfullyrealized.We’remoreofadanger toourselvesthanthebadguys.Whatdowethinkwe’redoing?”
“Yeah,”Felixsaid.“Sowestayhome.PutSpider-ManontheTV,andpoint
outhowyoupretendedtonotknowthatquote.”
Imadeafaceandthensaid,“Felixwemightnotallcomeback.Dowewant
todieforthiskid?”
“Thekid,whoeverheis,isburiedtokeephimsecurewhilethedarkwitchis outdoingtheirthing.Nobig.Wego,dighimup,runlikehell.”
I shook my head and left him in my main bedroom to go put on my black running clothes, my black sneakers, and pull my long black hair back into a ponytail.Imetmyowngazeinthemirrorandsawanidiotbeforeme.
“Whatdowehave,Martha?”
A little cloud of fairy lights swirled around my head and out towards Felix.
Thetwoofusfollowedthemtoashedatthebackoftheyard,wherewefound shovels.
FelixlaughedasIsaid,“Iwashopingfor…likeamachete.”
“Oramachinegun,”hesaidasweeachpulledacoupleofshovels.
The finding spell didn’t take long once Cyrus and Jessie were back. And it took far less time than I’d have preferred to find ourselves in the woods. The only thing I’d done that I felt good about was have Chrysie call her vampire maker,Elizabeth.Thereneededtobesomeoneoff-sitethatwetrustedandknew what to do. Mostly, though, I was wondering what in the hells we were doing whenthisominousfeelingofdestructionwassoheavyonmysoul.
IknewIwasn’talone.IcouldseeitinthewayChrysiewasn’tdancingupthe path.ThewaythatCyrusandJessiewerebarelykeepingup.ThewaythatFelix walkednexttome,shouldersstraight,jawdetermined,eyesfixedahead.
Wewere,Ithought,utterlyscrewed.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Theclearingwasdarkerthanitshouldhavebeen.Asifsomeonehadlaidan extra cover of shadows over it. Which was probably why it took us so long to realizethattherewasn’tjustonegrave.Therewereagoodhalfdozen.
“Ohgods,”Jessiesaid.“Godsandgodsandgods.”
“How could this happen?” Cyrus asked. He wasn’t speaking to anyone directly. But we were all wondering. We hadn’t heard of anyone missing. Let aloneahalfdozen.
“I…I…I…” Chrysie’s head jerked from side to side. She walked forward, leaneddownandpressedherfaceintoonegrave,andthenanother.Shemoved like lightning. Like you’d imagine a vampire would move—but she was too youngtobethisfast.“I…I…I…”
“Chrysie,”Felixsnapped,“Chrysie,stop!”
“I…I…I…” Her voice faded into a whisper, but it wasn’t so soft I couldn’t hearit.“There’sonlyoneheartbeat.”
My stomach dropped and my heart seemed to stop. Gods. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness here, but I threw my hand high and said the proto-Romanianwordfor,“Light.”
Felix had pulled Chrysie up and shoved a vial at her. I didn’t need to see to knowitwasthevampirepotion.Andsheneededit.Evenwiththesnacksshe’d eatenonthewayup,she’dgonefromslightlypink-tingedtopalerthanchalk.He shovedacandybarather.
“Chrysie,”IsaidwithacalmIdidnotfeel.“Whichonehastheheartbeat?”
ShejerkedwhenIspokeandthenherarmslowlyroseandshepointedtoone onthefarsideoftheclearing.Imademywayover,farmorecasuallythanIfelt, anddugtheshovelin.Withoutwaitingfortheothers,Ipusheddownusingmy magic to increase my speed and strength and dug with all of my might. As I worked, I began to sing. A simple lullaby that my Daddy used to sing to Bran andme.
Gods and monsters. Maybe there was a parent out there, wondering where their kid was. Wondering if they were all right. They weren’t. This was not all right.Nothingaboutthiswouldeverbeallrightforthekidagain.
Someonebegandiggingnextto
me.ItwasCyrus.Momentslater,Felixjoined.
WeworkeduntilJessieforciblymademestopandtakeabreak.Oncemybreak was done, I relieved Cyrus and so it went. All of us working, except Chrysie,
whowaswrappedaroundherknees,rockingbackandforth.
Ihavenoideahowlongittooktoreachthebox,butwefoundit.Andnoidea how long it took Felix to open it. It seemed to be an eternity, but I expected it wasamoment.
“OhHecate,”Jessiesaid.
Icouldn’tspeak.Thatwasn’taperson.Itwasremains.Afraillittlebodywith hair that had turned white, but kind of yellow, and coarse. It was the hair of a monster in a horror movie. The skin was more bones than flesh. Wrinkled and tooloose.
Thecarcasstookseveraljerkingbreathsandtriedtospeak.
“Don’t,”Felixsaidgently.“Don’t.Wehaveyou.It’llbeok.”
The flesh-covered skull jerked back and forth in a no. And the word it had been trying to say over and over again suddenly became clear to all of us at once.
“Runnnnnn.Runnnnnn.Rrrruuunnn.”
Cyrus’sheadjerkedaroundandthenhegrabbedJessie’shandandjerkedher towards the path. He didn’t wait for us, and I didn’t blame him one bit. Felix orderedChrysietocomeandbeganhurryingacrosstheclearing.
Weweretoolate.
*
“What are you doing, little ones? Meddling fools.” A witch had come from nowhere. They wore a black robe, hood up. There was no telling if the witch wereoldoryoung.Strongorweak.Evenmaleorfemale.
“Youevil…”Chrysiebegan,runningatthewitch,eyesblazingred.
IdoveforChrysie,stoppingheronlybykickingherinthebackoftheknee andsendingusbothtotheground.
“Is that?” The witch laughed and the laugh echoed around the clearing. “Is thatavampire?”
“Run,Chrysie!Run!”Felixwasshouting.ThewitchmovedatChrysiewitha
monster’sspeed,andIcouldn’tstopher.
Chrysiescuttledback,handsandfeet,stillontheground,butshecouldn’tget away.AndIcoulddonothing.BeforeImadeittomyfeet,awhitehandgrasped Chrysie’swristandlaughed.
“No,”Ishoutedandtriedtothrowmymagicatthewitch.ButidiotthatIwas, I’dtakenmycovenintotheplaceofpowerofanotherwitch.Icouldn’treachmy power.Icouldn’tdoanything.Notwiththewitchblockingme.
“Nooooooo,”Icried,butthewitchliftedonecasualhandandliftedmewith herpower,throwingmeintoatreeonthefarsideoftheclearing.
Ifellandwasunabletomove,onlywatchasFelixstumbledforward,looked
downattheburdeninhishandsandturnedtoruntowardsme.
“We’recomingforyou,Chrysie,”hecalled.
Shedidnotreply.TheonlysoundwasthedarkwitchlaughingasFelixheld hisburdenwithonehand,grabbedmywrist,andyankedmetomyfeet.
Wefledandwhilewedid,Icried.
CHAPTERNINE
“Gods,gods,gods,gods,”someonewassaying.Ihadnoideawho.Itwasjust aconstantrefrainasFelix,Hecateblesshim,droveusandthebodytoahealer.
I didn’t have a thing to say. Not a damn thing. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breath. I could only see that claw of a hand wrapped around the wrist of my cousin.ThewaythosenailsdugintoChrysie’swrist.ThewayChrysie’sbright eyes faded with fear. They had been so wide and terrified. What must she be thinking? Did she trust us to come for her? We weren’t. We were finding someone to help the last victim who was at death’s door, knocking for her chancetocrossthethinning.
“Wherearewegoing?”Ifinallyasked.
“TothebesthealerIknow,”FelixsaidinawaythattoldmeIwouldn’tlike thatanswer.
“AHallow?”
“Portia Hallow. There’s a clinic near the college that is staffed 24 hours a day.”
“Icalledthem,”Jessiesaid,“whenyouweregettingthebodyintotheback.”
Weallsoundeddead.Emotionlessandbroken.
“Thisiswhathappenswhenyouthinkyou’reobligatedtosavetheworld.Bad guys win. What did we get in the end?” I didn’t sound as fired up as I felt. I soundedasifsomeonehadstolenmysoul.
“Wesavedaperson,”Felixsaid,soundingassickandbrokenasIwas.
“Buttowhatend?Willtheylive?WelostChrysie.Howmanylivesdoesshe
have?She’salreadyescapedfateonce…canweexpectanother?”
“Idon’tknow,”Felixsaid.
“Whathavewedone?”Iaskedagain.Notsomuchofanyoneinthecar,but
myself.WhathadIdone?WhyhadIletthishappen?Iknewsomethinglikethis wouldhappen.Iknewthatwewouldn’tallcomeback.Iknewitwithmywitch self.Andyet…yet…gods.HadIjusthopeditwouldbeme?WouldIhavebeen
more ok with the results if it had been Jessie or Cyrus? Were they worth exchanging?
Felix’sbrokenreplyfilledthestarksilence,“Idon’tknow.Idon’tknow.”
We stopped outside of a little house, and someone came running out. Felix jumped out and opened the back and then Portia Hallow was asking what had happened.JessieandCyrusanswered.Felixhelpedwiththebody.AndI—Iwas
useless.
Justlikebefore.JustlikewithChrysie.Justlikeeveryothertime.Wheredid this arrogance come from? This surety that my way was the right way? Let’s formacoven,theysaid.Andlikeafool,Istartedone.Towhatend?Tokilloff myfewfriends.
“OhmyHecate,”Portiasaid,“Isthis…mygods,thisisGwendalynThorpe!”
ChrysieandJessiehadstumbledtotheyardandsatdown,soFelixandIwere lefttoanswer.WegavePortiaablanklook.
“Whathappened?”
Ilickedmylips.HowcouldIreply?“Wewerefools.”
“This is Gwendalyn Thorpe,” Portia said. “I don’t understand why you have her.”
“Wefoundher,”Felixsaid,lamely.
“Buthow,”Portiasnapped.“Whathappened?”
Ishookmyhead.
“The dark witch has Chrysie,” Jessie said from the grass. “We knew that someonewasburied.Wefoundheranddugherup,andthenweweregoingto
run.Butweweretooslow.”
“AdarkwitchhadGwendalyn.Ohgods,”Portiasaid.
IsatdownnexttoJessieandFelixsatonmyotherside,Iletmyheadfallto hisshoulder.Itwastooheavytokeepholdingup.
“Adarkwitch,”Felixrepeatedclearly,“HasChrysie.Chrysieourfriend.”
Portianoddedandsaidtothenursenexttoher,“CallGwendalyn’sfamily.”
She leaned down and started to whisper to Gwendalyn. They went inside withoutstopping.Withouttellinguswhattodo.Without…anything.
“What are we going to do?” Cyrus asked. Finally, one of us had stopped soundingdead.Insteadhesounded…irreparablydamaged.
“Idon’tknow,”Isaid.“Idon’thaveanyidea.”
*
“Wouldoneofyouliketotellmewheremychild,Chrysieis?”
The voice came from the shadows of Martha’s porch and was decidedly not Elspeth Porter-Hallow. Since I recognized it, I stepped up to the porch and slumpedontothesteps.
“Adarkwitchhasher.”
“A dark witch has a vampire,” Saffron asked. Apparently she was in the shadowswithElizabeth,Chrysie’svampiremaker.
“Yes,”Isaidwithoutfurtherexplanation.
“Youwentafterthedarkwitch,”Saffronaskedwithavoiceofice.
“Yes,”Isaid,pressingm
yfaceintothewoodofoneofMartha’sbalustrades
andletthesmellofherfillmylungs.“Yeswedid.”
“Wecouldn’tjust…not,”Felixadded,settlingdownnexttome.
“Why?”Saffrondemanded.SheandElizabethlefttheshadows,steppeddown
offoftheporchandturnedtofacethefourofus.Weweredownone.And,ina lotofways,shewasourheart.Wehadlosttheheartofourlittlefamily,andwe were broken. So, damaged and broken. What was happening to Chrysie? Had herhairturnedwhiteyet?
“CovensprotecttheirterritorySaffron,youknowthis.”Elizabethfacewasas quietandpowerfulastimeitself.
“They’renotacoven.They’rechildren.”
“Look at them with all of your senses. They are bound by the magic of a coven.”
“Butweonlydidacoupleofspellstogether.”
“Love and magic and will bind covens,” Elizabeth said. “Those things don’t havetohappenformally.”
Ipressedmyfaceintomyknees.Icouldn’tseeElizabeth.Icouldonlyseethat hand,thatclawwrappedaroundChrysie’swrist.
“Doyouhaveanyideawhatyou’vedone?”Saffronpacedinfrontofus.“This isterrible.”
“Obviously,”Felixsnappedather,standingtostaredownather.“Welostour friend.Wehavetogetherback.”
“No,”Saffronsaid,“Youlostavampire.Youputavampireintoadarkwitch’s hands. What happens to Chrysie doesn’t matter anymore. Getting her back or endingheristheonlythingtobedone.Elizabeth,youneedtobreakthebinding betweenyouandChrysie.”
Elizabeth’sbrowrose,“YouthinkIshouldletherdiefully.Beforeweeventry togetherback.”
“Do you know what a dark witch can do with a vampire?” Saffron leaned forward,intoElizabeth’sface.
Elizabethcasuallyreachedoutahand,andliftedSaffronbytheneck,setting hergentlydownamomentlater.“Donotpresumetoteachmelessons,littleone.
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