Daughter of Chaos (Red Magic)

by Jen McConnel

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.

  Copyright © 2013 by Jen McConnel

  DAUGHTER OF CHAOS by Jen McConnel

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Month9Books. Month9Books and its related logo are registered trademarks of Month9Books, LLC.

  No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Edited by Georgia McBride

  Published by Month9Books

  Cover designed by Victoria Faye

  To W.M. and all the IMPS.

  I had been looking forward to tonight all week. It wasn’t often that I got the house to myself; my parents aren’t really the “date-night” type. That’s why I was thrilled when they announced they were going to some cheesy classic rock concert in Raleigh tonight. Mom had tried to persuade me to come along.

  “It’ll be fun, sweetie. You love concerts!” she’d pleaded. I do love concerts, but she and I have very different ideas about what constitutes music. So I stayed home, planning to relax and shake off the week.

  School had sucked more than usual the past five days. Things were getting weirder with Justin, if that was possible. I thought we’d hit an all-time low with our breakup, but I’d been wrong. As if that wasn’t enough, it seemed like the teachers were trying to torture us; in one week, I’d had two essays due and three major tests. Somehow, I had managed to pull off a B- on the alchemy test. Science has always been my worst subject, even if alchemy is a magical science.

  Since I got that grade without cheating, I thought I deserved a bit of pampering. I popped myself a big bowl of popcorn, grabbed an orange soda, and parked myself on the couch. I had been recording my favorite show for weeks, hoarding the episodes like Halloween candy until the perfect opportunity presented itself. I don’t know why, but I love watching the cake show on the home and garden channel. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had a Witch or two in that kitchen; they do way more with frosting than Nons should be able to!

  Thinking I had hours of sugary entertainment in store, I settled in with the remote. I only made it about ten minutes into the first episode before the power surged and the DVR reset itself. Annoyed, I scrolled through the menu to get back to my show just as a crash of thunder rocked the house. I jumped, spilling popcorn all over the couch. The lights flickered and the power went out.

  I leaned forward, groping around the coffee table for matches. The house was full of candles, and my mother left the big boxes of kitchen matches scattered around for easy access. My fingers closed around the thick rectangle and my skin prickled.

  Someone was in the living room with me. There was a hunched figure standing in front of the window. Sucking in my breath, I opened the box and struck a match along the side. The smell of sulfur filled the room, and my eyes widened as I stared at the figure before me.

  She was a funny-looking old woman, and if I didn’t know exactly who she was, I might have laughed at her. As it was, the sight of Hecate standing in my living room made me incredibly uncomfortable. Although I knew that the gods played a role in magic, this was the first time I had ever met one of them face-to-face. I’d never expected in a million years that I would meet a god as powerful and frightening as Hecate.

  The Queen of Witches was not given to traipsing through time and space on a whim; in fact, we’d learned in school that historically, Hecate only appeared for one of two reasons: to punish someone who broke the laws of Witchcraft, or to reward an unusually talented Witch. The last time the latter had happened was about five hundred years ago, and I don’t think I have much in common with Will Shakespeare, so I figured her presence must be due to my mounting transgressions.

  For the first time, I wished I were with my parents. A few hours ago, I couldn’t imagine anything worse than being stuck in a stadium with a bunch of old hippies trying to recreate Woodstock. Now I could.

  Bowing my head before the goddess, I tensed, wondering if I could talk my way out of the punishment that was inevitably coming. Surely a few little hexes weren’t enough to have me chastised for breaking the Rede?

  The Rede is the cardinal rule of magic, and it had been drummed into my head by my parents and teachers for years. According to the Rede, Witches are free to act as we choose as long as our actions don’t bring harm. I tried hard to follow it, but sometimes I couldn’t resist using my magic for a little well-deserved payback. From what I knew of Hecate, she herself was no stranger to small acts of revenge. Maybe, I thought hopefully, maybe she would go easy on me.

  “Girl.” Her voice was raspy, like a rusty door hinge, and I jerked despite myself. She chuckled without humor. “Girl, look at me.”

  Slowly, I raised my eyes, sweeping my gaze up her inky black robes that shimmered like water, past the blood-red stone dangling from her throat, and up to her golden eyes. They weren’t human, but from what I remembered of the myths we studied at school, Hecate had never valued humanity. Her eyes were the eyes of a night predator—an owl or fox—and they held me spellbound.

  “Darlena. Darlena, I have been aware of you for some time now.” Her words came slowly, creaking into existence and lingering. I was frozen with fear. “Child, you stand at the brink. A choice must be made.”

  Confused, I started to shake my head, but her ragged claw shot out and held my chin steady.

  “You, child, will be powerful. But you stand at a crossing. Choose.”

  Silently, I shut my eyes, willing the apparition before me to vanish. She just laughed.

  “Darlena, little one, choose your path. Will you walk the White, the Black, or the Green?”

  At these words, her visit suddenly made sense. We had spent a good deal of time studying the three paths in school, even taking monthly aptitude tests to determine which path we would follow in our own lives. Most of my classmates already knew which of the three branches they were called to, but I kept getting confused. I never seemed to test high in any of the three areas, and for a Blood Witch to be sixteen and still without a path was shameful. No one had said anything, of course, not outright, but I felt my parents’ growing frustration that I hadn’t declared yet. At the same time, no one had said what would happen if I didn’t choose a path, so I had delayed, waiting for something to take the decision out of my hands.

  And now the Queen of Witches stood before me, demanding that I make a choice I wasn’t prepared to make.

  I shook my head, and her claw tightened on my chin. Her fingernails, sharp and ragged, bit into my flesh with subtle pressure.

  “You must choose, child. Choose now, and choose once, for once taken, the path becomes your fate.”

  I looked into those strange golden eyes, searching for a way out. “Majesty, what would you have me choose?”

  She chortled. “It is not what I want, girl. It is what you are called to. I would have you choose now, and choose wisely. You will not have a second choice.”

  Even though the goddess was staring at me intently, I couldn’t keep my mind focused on her words. My thoughts went back to a few weeks ago, when Rochelle and I were hiding in the art room at school. She sketched with charcoal while I worked a spell. I had just bound a hex with red thread when Justin walked in. His brown eyes widened when he saw what I was doing, and he threw an accusin
g glance toward Rochelle, but he shut the door and sat down across from me without saying anything. Rochelle ignored him, but the sound of her charcoal against the page got louder. I finished up the spell and then looked up to meet his troubled gaze. I could feel the energy radiating off of him, and I resisted the urge to reach for his hand. Instead, I raised an eyebrow, hoping I looked bored.

  He cleared his throat. “Who are you hexing?”

  I shrugged and looked back at the hex. “Principal Snout didn’t even bother listening to my side of things this time.”

  “Lena, is this really a good idea?”

  I glared at him, so he switched tactics.

  “I found my path today. I’ve decided to declare to White magic.”

  I nodded, and Rochelle stiffened slightly. He didn’t seem to notice and I wondered if all White Witches were as oblivious to the undercurrents surrounding them. His declaration was hardly news to anyone but Justin; he’d always been so noble and good that I don’t think anyone at school doubted he was destined to follow the White path, the same way everyone seemed to know Rochelle was leaning toward the Black. He smiled unsteadily, still getting used to his new identity. I swallowed, trying to slow my heart rate. His tentative smile was still enough to get under my skin.

  “I just thought—I know you haven’t chosen yet, but I wanted to ask you something.” His eyes were serious, and I couldn’t look away from his warm gaze.

  It had been bad enough breaking up with him once; why did he have to keep making me fall for him all over again? I tried to reel in my emotions, but I felt my neck starting to flush. Sitting beside me, Rochelle stopped drawing in anticipation of something. I wasn’t sure what she was waiting for, so I focused on Justin.

  “If you ever wanted to, well, I mean, if you ever thought about—” He floundered, but I couldn’t bear to help him. If I spoke, I was afraid I might say something I’d regret.

  He took a deep breath and went on. “You know that Whites and Greens can intermarry.” He paused as he glanced for the first time at Rochelle. “But a Black is forbidden from marrying at all. I just wanted you to think about that before you make your own choice.” His final words came out in a rush, and I exhaled quickly. My heart spun through my body like a yo-yo, and I struggled to keep my face blank.

  I nodded once, curtly, and then turned my attention back to my recently finished hex, studiously avoiding meeting Rochelle’s eye. Justin sat there, uncomfortable for a moment, before reaching over to squeeze my upper arm in parting. My skin tingled at his touch. I listened to the door click shut behind him, and my calm demeanor cracked.

  “Prick.” Rochelle spat the word as if she had just tasted poison.

  I shrugged and forced a smile. “He’s just excited about his declaration.”

  She laughed sharply. “And he’s clearly still in love with you.” Rochelle looked at me, her dark eyes piercing my soul. “Why in the world did you break up with him?” Her mocking tone annoyed me, and I shrugged again, even though my heart started to pound. No one knew how I still felt about Justin, and Rochelle would be the last person I’d confide in. She hated him too much to ever understand, and she thought that I did, too.

  “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”

  ***

  “Red.” I don’t know if I spoke the word or only thought it, but it was obvious from her stunned reaction that Hecate had heard me.

  “Red.” I croaked a little more firmly, even though I had no idea what I was saying. “I choose to follow Red magic.” Oh, boy, how would the goddess in front of me react to that? I’d said the first thing that popped into my mouth, but I knew there was no such thing as Red magic. Nervously, I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms and waiting for her to chastise me for my insolence.

  The punishment I was expecting never came. Instead, there was a crash of thunder outside, and the power flickered on for one blinding moment before the lights went out again. A threatening chuckle filled the air.

  “Girl, you have bound yourself with your words, but I wonder if you know exactly what you are now tied to?”

  Mutely, I shook my head, and she cackled. Her hand shot toward my face, and I flinched. The goddess ran her fingers through my hair, tangling it more than it already was. I tried not to jerk away from her, but my scalp crawled.

  “A Red with red hair. It is fitting.”

  I stared at her, too surprised to speak. What did my hair have to do with anything? And did that mean there really was a thing called Red magic?

  There was another crash of thunder and the goddess stepped away from me. “You will learn all things soon. But you are bound by your choice. Remember that later.”

  The lights flickered on spasmodically, and the goddess vanished.

  Part of me wanted to believe that I’d just had a dream, not an actual visitation from the most powerful goddess on earth. I was shaking and cold all over as I made my way up the stairs to my room. Not caring about the mess, I crawled into my closet and sat on the floor, hiding under my clothes. Trying to still my heart, I took three deep breaths, holding the air in my lungs a beat before exhaling.

  Red magic. What in the world was that? I’d never heard of anything but Green, White, and Black. They were the balanced triad of crafts taught at my school, Trinity. Did Red magic even exist? Hecate’s laughter filled my ears, and I began to feel hot and panicky. I crawled out of my closet and reached for my cell phone, but I didn’t call anyone. I thought about it; I was freaked out by her visit and by my impulsive declaration, but when I picked up the phone, the first person I thought of was Justin. I so wasn’t ready to go down that road.

  Justin and I had dated a few months ago, and it was intense. I’ve never dated a Non, and he was my first boyfriend, period, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but dating a powerful Witch was a mind-bending experience. Kissing him literally created sparks. It was like holding a hot wire while eating candy: dangerous, sweet, and strange. He still seemed to have feelings for me, but I had a hard time believing it after what had happened in the woods the last night we were together.

  ***

  I’d planned everything. We’d left the prom early to drive around, and I wasn’t ready to go home yet.

  “Why don’t we sit down by the river?”

  He glanced at my black dress. “Are you sure that’s okay?”

  “Of course! It’ll be a romantic way to end the night.” I slid as close to him as the bucket seats in his mother’s van would allow and put my hand on his arm. He shivered, and my heart sped up with anticipation.

  We didn’t say anything when we got to the park, and when I pulled a cheap bottle of champagne out of nowhere, I saw his eyes go wide. Magic can’t make something out of nothing, and I wasn’t about to tell Justin that I’d stolen the bottle from the convenience store the day before prom and stuck it in his mom’s car. It was better if he thought I was powerful and mysterious.

  We sat on the muddy bank of the river and took our shoes off. I leaned against his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of his dress shirt. He’d left his jacket in the car. The bubbles from the champagne were flat, but they still made me tingle. Or maybe that was simply my reaction to Justin.

  When I leaned over to kiss him, I tasted wine on his lips. He laced his fingers through my hair, and I pressed my body against his, gradually pushing him back until he was almost lying down. Water gurgled beneath us, and when I looked down into his face, I couldn’t read the emotions flitting across his eyes.

  I closed my eyes and leaned forward for another kiss, but Justin turned his head to the side.

  “What’s wrong?” I tried to make my voice sound husky, like an old movie star, but I suck at glamouring. A skilled Witch should be able to change her voice or appearance at will, but this was one spell I’d never been able to master.

  Justin looked up at me and frowned. “Did you just try to use magic on me?”

  I shook my head. “What makes you thi
nk that?”

  Gently, he lifted me off of him and set me to one side on the bank. “Don’t lie to me, Lena.”

  “It was just a little glamour. I wanted to make you want me as much as I want you.”

  He reached his hand out and cupped the side of my face. “You don’t need magic for that.”

  Eagerly, I leaned forward again, but he pulled back.

  “I think we should slow down.”

  I stared at him for a minute. My cheeks were hot, and I was glad that he couldn’t see how embarrassed I was in the darkness. “Why?” My voice sounded whiny, and I winced.

  “We’re young. There’s no reason to rush into this.”

  I forced a laugh. “You sound like a stupid Non.”

  “Lena, you know I love you.” He leaned toward me, but I pulled away and stood up.

  “No, I don’t. If you loved me … ” I trailed off, trying to get my emotions under control.

  “There’s more to love than sex, Lena.”

  “But I want you.” I hated myself as soon as the words were said, and I turned away from the river and began walking fast. I couldn’t bear for him to know that he was the one thing that made me vulnerable; Justin had often teased me about being unstoppable.

  “Lena, wait!” I heard him scramble to his feet behind me, but I didn’t look back. I sped up and whispered a spell to keep him from catching up to me. I walked all the way home, ignoring the stars overhead as I listened for his footsteps. But at some point he must have stopped following me, because when I turned onto my street, I was alone in the night.

  I didn’t cry that night, but the next morning when Justin didn’t call, I dissolved into embarrassed tears. We broke up after that, sort of. I never actually told him I didn’t want to see him anymore, but I started ignoring him at school. He took the hint and stopped pestering me, but over the summer, he had started hanging around again. Not like a boyfriend, though; I assumed he wanted to try just being friends. I didn’t have the energy left to tell him that every time I saw him smile, I felt a knife go through my gut.