by Jen McConnel
In the vestibule, I hesitated. The school was a labyrinth of classrooms, hallways, and staircases. It had always seemed corny to me, when I was a student there, to be studying Witchcraft in something that could have been a Gothic mansion. Now, I realized there were countless places that Rochelle could have hidden my parents. Drawing the crystal out of my pocket, I drew it close to my face.
It was hard to see, but after a moment, I recognized the gruesome image of a gargoyle. Trinity’s roof was covered with the creepy things, adding to its odd appearance and to its façade as a religious school. I knew my way to the roof; it was a favorite spot for all the students when they wanted to practice big, flashy spells. I headed for the janitor’s staircase at the back of the building, trying to come up with a plan. I knew Rochelle wanted me dead, and I hoped that if I offered to fight her, my parents could get away. That is, if she hadn’t already done anything to them. I crept up the stairs, waiting for Rochelle to attack me from above.
I was surprised when I reached the roof unharmed. As I opened the door onto the roof, I was hit with a wave of freezing air. While I was in Greece, fall had deepened, and the crisp night air around me bit at my cheeks and made me think of winter. Drawing in a deep breath of cold air, I crept onto the roof, my eyes darting around, looking for recognizable shapes in the darkness.
A muffled sound drew my eyes to the western side of the roof. My parents were pressed up against the wall, bound and gagged with air and floating a foot off the ground. Mom’s eyes looked panicked when she spotted me, and she shook her head frantically. Dad’s head lolled to one side. I fought back the fear that he was already dead and headed across the roof, not caring if I made an easy target for Rochelle.
My hands started to spark. With a single word, I directed the energy out to my parents, slashing through their invisible bonds. The Red sparks flared for an instant when they hit Rochelle’s spell, but then my parents dropped to the roof, released.
“Darlena, run!” Mom coughed.
I rushed to her and hugged her tight. “Are you okay?” I was so grateful to see her, but I knew we didn’t have time for a long reunion. “What’s wrong with Dad?”
She shook her head and didn’t answer. “You have to get out of here, now. She’s just waiting to kill you.”
I flexed my fingers, feeling the power that still flowed through me. “Let her try.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Rochelle stepped out from behind a vent and took a step toward me. Before I could even react, she raised her hands and sent a blast of Black energy surging across the roof. I jumped at the last minute, but the bolt passed close enough that I could hear the hiss it made when it hit the stone behind me. It took all my self-control not to fling myself at her.
Instead, I turned to my mom. “You have to get out of here, now. Can you manage Dad?” My father was still unconscious, but Mom nodded and reached over to pull him up. She struggled for a minute under his weight, but finally she stood, Dad leaning against her body. He let out a soft groan, and relief surged through me. He wasn’t dead!
“I can manage.” Her voice shook, and tears welled up in her eyes. “But what about you?”
“I have to handle this.” I crouched in front of her, shielding her from Rochelle’s view, but no attack came.
“But I want to help you! Two Greens together—”
I interrupted her. “Mom, I’m a Red. I can’t explain now, but I promise I’ll tell you later.”
She recoiled as if I’d slapped her. “A Red?” Fear and revulsion were plain on her face, and I sighed. If I survived, we’d have a lot to talk about, and I didn’t think it would be any easier to tell her the truth for a second time. Silently, I cursed Rochelle; couldn’t she have left my parents’ memories alone?
“There’s a lot we need to talk about. But first I need to deal with Rochelle. Take Dad. Call a cab and get home. Set wards on the house. I’ll see you soon.” I kissed her cheek and she flinched. She looked like she wanted to stay there and argue with me, but she lifted my father and moved quickly for the stairs.
“How touching.” Rochelle sneered, stepping closer to me. “Darlena is trying to save her family.” She raised her hand and pointed at my mother.
“Don’t!” I snapped at her, raising my own hands. Energy crackled in the air, but I didn’t want to strike her just yet. I was worried about using up all my strength early on in the fight; I’d never used Red magic for prolonged periods of time, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to. “You won’t hurt them, Rochelle. It’s me you want.”
Her lip curled in disgust. “Do you really think I’d have a problem hurting them?” Before I could react, she flicked her wrist and Black sparks struck my parents just as they reached the stairs. Mom fell backwards with a cry, taking Dad’s prone form with her, and I heard the heavy thud as their bodies tumbled down.
“How dare you?” I raised my hands, shaping a sphere of power, but I made no move to attack yet. I needed to give Mom and Dad time to get away. I just hoped they weren’t unconscious.
Rochelle laughed. “I’m not afraid to use my power, Darlena! Unlike you, skulking like a coward.” She sent another pulse of energy toward me, but I used the Red sphere in my hands to deflect it. It was like deadly dodgeball. Black sparks shot into the sky.
“I wasn’t hiding, Rochelle, I was learning.” The sphere in my hands pulsed, but I held onto it.
“Oh, I see. Learning.” She zapped me again, and I moved, slipping behind an air conditioner vent. “I don’t know how much you were learning while I was out here working.” Black sparks bounced off the vent in front of me again.
“What do you really know about Red magic, Rochelle?” I put the finishing touches on my sphere, but I still crouched behind the vent, holding the molten ball of energy.
“Know? What is there to know? You’re an idiot. I should have been the Red Witch, not you! I’d never stand in the way of chaos like you want to.”
I peeked around the side of the vent, but I didn’t see her. “So you’re willing to cause countless deaths?”
Her laughter was sharp. “Didn’t you learn anything from Hades? Death brings power. I would grow and grow in my power with each disaster I caused, until one day the entire world would bow down to me.”
How had she known where I was? Hecate must have told her. Did she realize that her pawn was talking about world domination? Somehow, I doubted Hecate would let Rochelle get that powerful. The Queen of Witches didn’t strike me as someone who was willing to share power. “That’ll never happen, Rochelle! There are laws! Don’t forget the Rede.”
“Laws!” she spat, moving into view and closer to my vent. “Those laws protect Nons. They’ll be the first to go. I will reshape the earth into a magical world, and all the beings on it will revere my name.”
“Rochelle, you’re insane.” I felt the Red sphere pulsing in my hands and I knew I had to act quickly before the magic overwhelmed me.
“Maybe, but I’m the one who’s going to live through this.”
“Don’t bet on it.” I spun out from behind the vent and flung the Red ball at her just as she released another bolt of Black magic. It hit me dead in the chest, and I fell backward, bruising my elbows. Rochelle sailed off the roof, the Red sphere of energy propelling her like a deadly comet.
Gasping, I tried to pull myself upright, but the Black energy had turned to tar when it struck me, and I was pinned to the roof. If Rochelle had survived her fall, I was trapped, a perfect target.
“Rochelle?” I yelled into the night sky. There was no answer. Struggling against the Black stuff oozing over me, I tried again. “Finish what you started!” I waited for her to reappear. Maybe it was stupid, but I sort of hoped she’d survived; I didn’t want to be responsible for one more death, especially not hers. “I’m sorry!” My words were lost in the wind.
The door to the roof burst open and Justin rushed out. “Darlena!” His voice echoed off the rooftop as he hurried toward me.
I looke
d at him, dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?” I struggled to sit up, but the residue from Rochelle’s spell still held me hostage.
He knelt beside me, White light radiating out of his hands. “I got your text.”
The Black goo dissolved and I sat up, rubbing my raw elbows. I couldn’t look at him; the last time I’d seen him, he’d said he would never help me. Why was he here now? “So?”
He laughed. “So? That’s all you have to say to me?”
“I thought you were angry at me.” My voice dropped, and I blinked back tears.
To my surprise, Justin hugged me tight. “I was. But I don’t want to lose you.”
His embrace felt too good to be true. I glared up at him, trying not to let him see how affected I was by his touch. “So you decided to rescue me.” The bitterness in my voice made him drop his arms to his sides quickly.
“No. You look like you had that under control. But I wanted to tell you that I still love you, and I was worried that after tonight, I wouldn’t have another chance.”
His words sank in. “You love me?” The world spun.
He nodded, blushing. “I always have.”
There was a pause, and then I flung my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight. Our lips met, and I melted. “But why did you think you wouldn’t have another chance after tonight?”
Justin sighed. “I had a vision. I don’t think now’s the time to discuss it.”
Suddenly, I remembered my parents. “Justin, when you came up the stairs, did you see—”
“Your parents?” He finished for me, and I nodded. “Yes. I healed them both, or at least I tried to. Your mother kept insisting that she could do it without my help.”
I laughed, relieved. “So they’re okay?” He nodded and I stood up. My legs were shaky, but I took a step away from him, my mind reeling. I was alive, my parents were safe, and Justin was there beside me. It was almost too much to take. Then I glanced over the side of the roof and took a step forward. I looked down to the dark street below.
Realization hit me like a truck, and I burst into tears. Justin looked surprised, but he drew me close and started stroking my head. “It’s okay. Everything is okay. You did it.”
At his words, I cried harder. What exactly had I done? I’d become the person I swore I wouldn’t be: I’d murdered my best friend. I sniffled. “Justin, I killed Rochelle.”
He didn’t look surprised, but I thought I saw him clench his jaw. “She was trying to kill you, Darlena. You acted in self-defense.”
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “But I’ll have to answer for that! You know the threefold law.”
“But not right now, Darlena.” He stroked my hair, whispering. “Right now, you’re safe with me.”
I let him hold me while I cried, exhausted and frightened. Even as he stroked my hair and whispered soothing things, I knew that Rochelle’s death would come back to haunt me.
“I have to go talk to my parents.” We had reached my house, and all the lights were on, illuminating the dark street.
Justin shoved his hands in his pockets. “But I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
I hesitated. “Justin—there are things I need to do.”
“So I’ll help you!”
I shook my head. “Look, I really appreciate everything you’ve done, but I don’t want to put you in any more danger. Hecate has no problem using the people close to me, and I don’t want her to get her hands on you.” I hated myself then, but I didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. Still, pushing Justin away felt like I was sticking a nail into my heart.
“I’d like to see her try.” Justin clenched his fists and I grabbed his hands, shaking my head.
“No, you wouldn’t. I don’t care how strong a White Witch you are, Hecate will always be stronger. She’s stronger than me, too, but I’m not trying to beat her.”
A confused expression crossed his face. “Then what is all this about?”
I sighed. “I want to use Red magic to find some kind of balance. Hecate wants things to tip in favor of chaos, I don’t know why. But I need to find the other Red Witches and see what we can do together.” I had realized that Hades was right. I didn’t have to do this alone. It wasn’t about winning; it was about using Red magic for good. Maybe if I found the other Red Witches, I could learn something.
He frowned and looked at the ground. Gently, I touched his cheek.
“Justin, look at me.” Reluctantly, his eyes met mine. “I love you. Nothing changes that.”
His frown deepened for a moment, but then he nodded. I kissed him lightly.
“Thank you.” I hoped he understood what I meant: I wasn’t just thanking him for tonight.
“I still think I can help.” He sounded petulant, and I smiled.
“You already have.”
My parents were sitting in the living room when I opened the door. Xerxes crept out from under the couch, purring regally as if nothing had happened. He hopped up beside my dad, who began petting him absentmindedly.
I drew a deep breath. “I have a lot of things that I need to tell you both.”
Mom shook her head. “No, you don’t, honey.”
“But—”
“Darlena,” Dad interrupted, “we knew when you made your declaration that there would be certain things you couldn’t tell us.”
I stared, confused. Mom got off the couch and crossed to me. “You’re a Red, sweetie. And we can’t help you very much.” She embraced me tightly.
“You know I’m a Red?”
Dad nodded and Mom patted my cheek. “We’ve known since the beginning. Don’t you remember when Hecate visited us?”
I stared at them, confused. Had their memories just been miraculously restored? What if the spell Rochelle had cast had dissolved when I killed her? My stomach flipped at the thought, and I tried to ignore the memory of Rochelle sailing off the roof to her death. “But what about tonight?”
Mom sighed. Dad stared at the crackles of electricity flying off the cat’s back as he stroked him.
“Tonight,” Dad said firmly, “you saved us. I still don’t know what was going on, but I know we’re safe. And so are you.”
“We’ve missed you, Lena.”
“Missed me? What … ” I trailed off as Persephone walked out of the kitchen. “Oh.”
She stood in the doorway, her face expressionless.
I crossed to face the goddess. “Well?”
Her eyes flashed. “Well, what, child?”
“Shouldn’t you be in the Underworld?”
Surprise showed on her face. “Aren’t you concerned about the past weeks?”
I shook my head. Whatever had happened while I was gone, I trusted her. It was a nice feeling to finally have a goddess I could trust. I looked up at her. “Thank you.”
She sighed. “In the end, my glamour wasn’t enough to fool that Black Witch.”
“I know. It wasn’t your fault. I gave myself away, too.”
Her eyes studied me for a long moment, but she didn’t speak.
“Persephone,” I hesitated. “I have a message from your husband, and there’s something I should tell you.”
“Go on.”
“Dennis is dead.”
Her temper flared. “Is that the message my lord would send to me?”
“No, no,” I hurried on despite my fear, “that was my fault. He died when I ran to the Underworld.” Tears filled my eyes, but I brushed them away. What was done was done, and I couldn’t spend too much time thinking about the people who had died because of me. If I did, I might go crazy. “I’m sorry. He was really special.”
She nodded, struggling to master her emotions. “And the message from my lord?”
“He loves you, and hopes you’ll come back soon.”
Persephone made a sound that could have been a sob and began to dissolve in a cloud of Red light. “Perhaps, little Witch, you will bring balance after all.” She kissed my forehead before she vanished, but her word
s hung in the air. “We will meet again, Darlena. I swear it by the River Styx.”
She faded, and I was left alone with my parents. Squaring my shoulders, I turned around.
“I know you don’t want to know a lot, and I don’t want to tell you anything that could hurt you,” I drew a deep breath, “but I can’t stay here very long.”
“We expected something like that. Persephone told us that you were in conflict with Hecate.” Dad’s voice was calm, despite his words.
I nodded, trying not to laugh at the way he phrased it. Dad made it sound like Hecate and I were just having a minor disagreement rather than a war. “It’s not over yet. What happened with Rochelle was just the beginning. I need to find a way to balance Red magic. I can’t let chaos happen unchecked.”
“You can’t start right now,” Mom said softly, and I could tell she was trying not to cry. “It’s too dark outside. Besides, even heroes should be able to sleep in their own beds once in a while.”
I laughed and hugged her. “I’ll stay tonight. I don’t know when I’ll need to leave, but when I do, it will be fast. Will that … will that be okay?”
Dad rose and embraced me. “Of course. We trust you to make the right choices, Darlena.”
“You always have,” Mom added, brushing strands of hair off my forehead and kissing me.
***
It felt strange to lie down in my own bed after everything that had happened. Xerxes curled up on my stomach, purring contentedly, while I stared at my ceiling, thinking. There was still so much I didn’t understand. But the biggest question that was weighing on me had to do with Aphrodite. “I wonder if she’s still my patron?” I asked the cat, scratching him behind the ears.
“She may be.” Aphrodite stood near the window, her back turned to me. Xerxes lifted his head and sniffed before hoping off the bed and crossing the room to wind around her ankles. I sat up in bed and watched the goddess.
After a moment, Aphrodite turned around. “I love the moon.” She sighed. “So peaceful, so beautiful.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you came to talk to me about? I thought we already had that lesson.”
