by Sarra Cannon
Her mother was sitting there by her side.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I can come back later.”
“No,” she said softly. “It’s okay. I could use some company. Come in.”
I pulled a chair up on the other side of Caroline’s bed. There was an IV attached to Caroline’s arm today, but nothing else looked different. “Any improvement?”
“Nothing,” she said. I could hear the sorrow in her voice. “Her eyelids flutter from time to time like she’s dreaming, but she never wakes up.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. And I was. I was sorry for everything. For getting her into this mess in the first place. For not telling anyone the truth right up front when it might have made a difference.
“You saved her life,” she said. “I don’t think I can ever repay you for that.”
I shook my head. “It was Jackson, really,” I said. “Without him, we’d both be dead.”
We sat in silence for a moment. Eloise brought her daughter’s hand up to her cheek and held it there for a moment. I looked away, feeling like I was intruding on their time.
“I should go,” I said. “I just wanted to see how she was doing.”
I stood and turned to go.
“That was quite the storm last night, wasn’t it?” Something about the way she said it stopped me in my tracks.
“Yes,” I said. “A real downpour.”
“Funny how rain wasn’t in the forecast,” she said.
I turned to face her, my heart racing. I knew there was something strange about that storm. “Yeah, funny.”
“It’s also strange how no one downtown got a single drop,” she said. “It seems the storm was completely confined to the area around Shadowford.”
I sat back down in the chair with a thump. “Very strange,” I said, picking at my nails.
“Harper, did you cause the storm last night?” Her tone was very direct and I looked up, surprised.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Is that possible?”
“Were you upset? Crying? Angry?”
I nodded, nervous.
Eloise settled back in her chair, her mouth slightly open, as if she was surprised to hear it. “Controlling the weather with our emotions is something women in my family line have been dealing with for over a hundred years,” she said. “We have to be very careful not to let our emotions get too out of control or we could cause a serious storm like a tornado.”
“Or a thunderstorm?”
“Exactly,” she said. “When I first heard the storm growing last night, I thought it was Meredith causing it, but when I checked in on her, she was fine. No tears or anything. She was simply watching TV with Zara and Courtney downstairs. Around midnight, the storm got really bad. I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking maybe Caroline was making it happen from her coma.”
She said that last part with a sad smile.
“I should have known how ridiculous that was,” she said. When she looked at me, her eyes were glassy. “But it was you, wasn’t it?”
“How is that possible? I could never do that before,” I said.
“The stone,” she said, swiping at her right eye with a tissue. “The soul stone you took from Caroline’s chest. When you gripped it, some of her power must have been transferred to you.”
I opened my eyes wide and sucked in a ragged breath. “I didn’t mean to,” I said.
“I know,” she said with a smile. “You were only trying to save her life.”
“Is there any way to give it back to her? To transfer some of her power back to her? Either from the stone or from me, I mean?”
“I know you’d do it if you could, but once that power has entered you, the only way to get it out is to use another soul stone. And I’m afraid we’d never be able to pull just that one aspect of your power out separately. If we used a soul stone, it would take everything.”
“So this power is just mine now?” I asked. “Forever?”
“I suppose so,” she said. “I don’t know if a Prima has ever had the power of two families inside of her before, but you now have a piece of my demon in you as well as your own.”
I wanted to tell her that I didn’t think the demons were ours to really own, but I didn’t think it was the right time to start fighting that war.
Instead, I took Caroline’s hand in mine and wished more than anything she would open her eyes.
Eyes As Red As Blood
Three days later, Caroline’s sister Meredith came rushing out of her bedroom, screaming that Caroline was awake and talking.
Mary Anne, Courtney and I were downstairs in the kitchen eating breakfast when we heard Meredith yelling for us to come upstairs and see. Courtney and I left our bowls there and ran up the stairs, unable to believe the good news. Mary Anne didn’t follow us. Instead, I watched from Caroline’s bedroom window as Mary Anne disappeared into the woods. My stomach twisted into knots. It was strange that she was going into the woods at a time like this. Something was definitely off about that girl.
I shook my head and let the curtains fall back over the window. I couldn’t afford to go out there after her. Caroline was okay. That was all that mattered today.
“We should give Caroline some space,” Eloise said. The room was packed with members of the Order and Caroline’s family and friends. “She’s been through a lot and we don’t want to tire her out too much.”
Everyone began filing out of the room, and I moved to follow.
“Harper,” Caroline said. Her voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. “Can you stay for a second?”
I looked to Eloise to see if it was okay. She nodded, so I sat down by the bed. My palms began to sweat as the room emptied. Did Caroline blame me for what happened? How would I ever be able to make this up to her?
Eloise was the last to leave and she shut the door behind her, sensing Caroline’s desire for privacy.
“I’m so sorry,” I started.
She shook her head and lifted her hand. I stopped talking and waited as she took a quick drink of water and propped herself up on the pillows a little bit.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she said. “We were just having some fun. I know you didn’t mean for this to happen.” She cleared her throat and grimaced. “You’re in serious danger, Harper. When the witch took me, I still looked like you. They’re really after you, Harper.”
“I know,” I said.
“What? Why haven’t you told anyone the truth? The Order can protect you.”
I moistened my lips and pressed them together nervously. “It’s complicated,” I said. “Things are different here in Peachville. It’s not like the Order has another Prima lined up somewhere. I’m the last.”
“All the more reason you should take this seriously.”
“I am taking it seriously,” I said. “But if the Order knew the people who took you were really after me, they’d lock me up and throw away the key. They’ve already threatened seclusion. I can’t let them do that to me.”
“You’ve got to tell someone, Harper,” she said. She leaned forward, but then collapsed into a coughing fit. I poured her another cup of water and handed it to her. “Thanks.”
“Why haven’t you told your mom about the switch? If you believe the Order should know the truth, why didn’t you tell them yourself.”
She smiled and placed her hand on top of mine. “Mom said you risked your life to save me. She said you went through terrible pain to rescue me from those roses. I owe you one.”
I shook my head. “No. You never would have been in that situation if it wasn’t for me.”
“You couldn’t have known that,” she said. “Unless you knew you were in danger before we switched, which you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t, but I still feel responsible.”
“I’m okay,” she said. “Because of you, I’m going to be okay.”
I saw that the black soul stone was sitting in a small box beside her bed. “Can they put your power back i
nto you?” I asked. “Will you get it back like before?”
“There’s a spell that can reverse the power trapped in the stone back to me. Mom says I’ll probably never be full power again, but I’m okay with that. I never wanted to be Prima the way Meredith does. I’m happy to just be alive.”
“Caroline, did you see the woman who took you?”
She sighed. “At first, it wasn’t a woman,” she said. “It was a-“
“A crow.”
“Exactly,” she said. “How did you know?”
“I saw it,” I said. “A crow with blue eyes.”
“No,” she said, her head tilted to one side. “The crow who took me had eyes as red as blood. They were terrifying. This huge black bird swooped down on me when I stepped onto the balcony. It scratched my cheek and before I could even shoo it away, everything went all blurry. The next thing I knew, I was in a dark cave or something with a cloth over my eyes.”
“Red eyes?” I asked. That couldn’t be right. The crow’s eyes were as blue as the sky on a summer’s day. Pure and clear.
“I’ll never forget them as long as I live,” she said, shuddering. “When they had me in the cave-“
“Wait, they? You mean there was more than one witch?”
She nodded. “There were several in the cave. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear them. As soon as the glamour dropped, they were so angry. I heard them talking about the soul stone. They said they might as well get some use out of me.” Her voice cracked a little and she took another sip of water. “They had some kind of bind on me and I couldn’t move, but when they tried to place the stone on my chest, I somehow found the power to break their spell. I ran into the woods, but they chased after me. I didn’t get far. That’s when they put me in the ring of roses.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“It’s okay, Caroline, you don’t have to tell me now,” I said. “You should rest. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She sniffed and squeezed my hand. “Promise me you’ll tell the Order about the glamour,” she said. “These witches are powerful, Harper. They’ll come after you. I know they will.”
“Right now, I have a house full of powerful witches,” I said. “They can’t reach me. I promise I’ll be fine.”
I put on a brave face, but deep inside, I realized I was more scared than ever.
Friends Don’t Hurt Each Other Like That
Fear ruled my thoughts for the rest of the afternoon. On the outside, I tried to act happy and be a good hostess for all the members of the Order who had come to see Caroline and lend their support to her mother. Ella Mae set up a buffet in the kitchen with casseroles and chips and cookies and finger foods. There was enough food to feed a hundred people, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of any of it.
When I thought I was up against one witch, it didn’t seem so bad. I’d been against worse before and won. But several? Caroline wasn’t sure how many witches there were, but she’d said several. That could mean four or five. Maybe more.
I shivered and pulled my sweater tighter.
“Can you believe it?” Lark asked. She was all smiles as usual. “It’s a miracle.”
I forced a smile. “I know. It’s amazing.”
“You should have seen Brooke’s face when my mom called you a hero,” she said with a laugh. “I thought she was going to blow her top.”
“Do you think she sabotaged my sneakers the other day at practice?”
“Who? Brooke?” Lark shrugged. “Maybe. She’s been pretty jealous over all the attention you’ve been getting lately. I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Would you ever do something like that to me?” I asked.
Lark lifted one eyebrow super high and tilted her head to the side. “What? You’re joking right? I could never use magic against you. I’m your friend. Friends don’t hurt each other like that.”
Friend. A word I didn’t have a lot of experience with. How could you really tell who your friends were in a world like this? Jackson was my friend. More than a friend, really. And I’d still hurt him. I regretted it with all my heart.
“I thought Brooke was my friend, too,” I said.
Lark screwed up her nose. “She’s different since her initiation. It’s weird. It’s like she’s no one’s friend anymore.”
“She seems pretty chummy with Allison still.”
“Hmm. Maybe,” she said. “Anyway, don’t sweat it. If you want me to, I’ll talk to her about it. See if I can get her to lighten up a bit.”
“No,” I said. “Just let it go. The truth is, I don’t care if she does take the top of pyramid.”
“One of these days, you’re going to have to get used to the fact that you’re the star around here,” she said with a laugh. She grabbed a cookie off the plate in front of me and licked the cream from the middle. “You’re going to be Prima soon. You’ll be in the spotlight all the time.”
I frowned. Being the future Prima was ruining my life.
A Matter Of Life And Death
I needed to talk to Jackson.
He hadn’t been around the house all day. I knew he wasn’t a big fan of the Order of Shadows, so it was not a big surprise that he was scarce when there were at least thirty people at the house. Did he know about Caroline?
I was sure he’d heard. He seemed to know everything that happened in this town.
Only, he didn’t know what Caroline had told me. We were dealing with multiple witches, and I suddenly felt like the situation was spiraling out of control. I didn’t know whether to tell the Order the truth about why Caroline was kidnapped or if I should just continue to figure this out on my own.
God knows I didn’t trust the Order. That’s why I hadn’t told them about the crow feather or the glamour that night. I didn’t want to let those walls down, because once they were down and I started to trust them out of necessity, they would be that much closer to owning me forever.
On the other hand, without their help, I might not survive an attack from the crow witch. Maybe seclusion really was the best thing for me.
Several times, I was on the verge of telling Zara the truth, but I always pulled back. Jackson was the one I wanted to tell. He would know what to do. Of course, he wasn’t talking to me right now, which made things a bit more complicated.
After hours of debate, I finally decided that he’d have to put our personal issues aside. If nothing else, he’d at least want to keep his brother alive. While the crowd still loitered downstairs, I crept through the front door and worked my way back toward Jackson’s house. I peered inside his bedroom window, hoping to see him sitting at his desk drawing or possibly laying on his bed thinking of ways to apologize to me.
Instead, the room was empty and dark.
Maybe he’d gone into town? Or just for a ride to get away for a while?
I stifled the growing disappointment in my belly and took a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket. I’d brought them just in case, and now I was glad I did. I jotted a quick note for him to please meet me in the barn again at midnight tonight. I added that it was a matter of life and death, figuring that would really drive it home how important this meeting was.
I slipped the note in the crack of the window and propped it up in a way that I was sure he would notice when he walked through the door. Behind me, I thought I heard the beating of wings. My heart skipped a beat and I turned, terrified of seeing blood-red eyes staring back at me.
Instead, I saw a bluejay flutter from one tree to another. I sighed in relief, then hurried back to the house to wait until midnight.
The Crow
The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering in full force by the time midnight rolled around. I had no idea if Jackson would show or if he was still super angry with me. What if he hadn’t even seen the note? How long was I willing to wait here in the barn for him to show?
I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time again. Five after. He was definitely late. I warmed my hands with my breath, then rubbe
d them together. I should have worn gloves.
It was dark inside the barn, and I considered conjuring an orb to make it seem less frightening, but decided against it. Any extra light might draw attention, and there was no telling who might be watching.
A flutter of wings up above sent an icy chill up my spine. My breath stopped cold in my chest and I took a step backward toward the door. Had I imagined it? I held my breath and listened closely. Then, the flapping sound came again, and my body flooded with terror.
In the next instant, a shadow flew in front of my face. I swatted at it, lunging for the door. Hoping for escape. I screamed as I tripped over something hard and metal on the floor. I heard the fabric of my jeans rip and warm blood trickle down my shin, but I didn’t stop. I scrambled to my feet and kept moving. Two more steps and I would have made it outside.
The crow swooped down, its sharp claw scraping across my cheek. I reached up to touch the scratch, then stumbled, my vision blurred. All I saw as I lost consciousness was the sinister gleam of its blood-red eyes.
I’m Sorry, Mother
Pain thundered through my skull. I opened my eyes and tried to bring my hands up to my aching head, but I couldn’t move. My arms and legs were stick-straight like a board, and I struggled to free myself from whatever magic held me in place. They had dressed me in a white dress just like the one Caroline had been wearing the day we found her.
The room was dark. Candlelight flickered across the stone ceiling. Voices whispered all around me and I turned my head to see a room full of witches dressed in black velvet robes that shimmered in the light. These robes were very different from the ones I’d seen the night of Brooke’s initiation ceremony, but the room was the same.
“Let me go,” I said.
A witch cackled near my ear, her voice ancient and gravelly. She ran her long, crooked fingernail across the scratch on my cheek and I winced. In her other hand, she held my necklace, its blue pendant swinging back and forth as she held it up for me to see.
