“You were not possessed. You’re almost sixteen years old, it’s normal to like boys,” I said, waving my hand at her.
“I do not like Aiden,” she spat firmly.
“So you randomly touch chests of guys you don’t like?” I threw at her, lips pulled tight in a huge smile.
“No,” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat. “I don’t know. It’s a bad idea. He likes you, doesn’t he?”
“No, the kiss ruined that.” I picked at my nail polish, watching the flakes fall slowly to the floor. Little red sparkly dots lay around my legs. She didn’t say anything, so I glanced up, seeing her mouth hanging open.
“What kiss…?” she whispered, surveying the area like she thought an intruder was listening.
“He kissed me right before he was taken…Scott didn’t tell you?” I asked, surprised.
She shook her head, mouth still dangling. I reached over, slowly pushing it closed for her. She shook her head, staring at me. “He kissed you?” was all she could muster.
I nodded, “It was nothing. He thought we had a connection, but it’s purely friendship. I don’t have any feelings for him. I want Scott and only Scott.”
She raised one brow, creating a perfect arch above her eye, and quizzed me. “So…you’re saying Aiden kissed you, it meant nothing, my brother knows this and didn’t kill him? That seems all wrong.”
I giggled, brushing the flakes of polish in a pile and scooping it up. “I know. I was shocked too. He overheard Aiden asking for forgiveness and somehow kept his cool. I’m so glad that jealous streak is over.”
She agreed, “Yeah, that was not cool of him. I was annoyed every time anyone spoke of Aiden because Scott turned green.”
“Ridiculous. Boys are weird,” I laughed. I peeled my legs out, straightening them in front of me. My foot was asleep, the tingle slowly creeping its way up my leg. It hurt, each movement sending a burst of shivering pain through my skin. How a foot asleep could hurt so badly was beyond me. It shouldn’t be called asleep, sleeping was generally peaceful. “Soooo…”I drawled out, grinning. “What do you want for your birthday?”
She groaned, stretching out beside me. “Nothing. I hope no one remembers.”
My heart sank, “Why?”
“There are bigger issues going on than my birthday. I mean, come on, Liv. We have to go face the council soon!”
I shrugged. “Still, it’s your sixteenth birthday. That’s a big one. We’re celebrating.”
Glaring at me, she pleaded, “Please, don’t tell me you’re planning something?”
I ignored her, finally gaining feeling in my feet. I stood, reaching a hand out to help her up. “Sadie, please promise me you’ll talk to Aiden, and stop spending all your time in here crammed in these old books. I’m afraid one of them is going to suck you in one of these days.” I placed my hands on her shoulders, gripped firmly. “We’ll find a solution. All of us, together. This is all on you.”
“I know…I just…I don’t want to lose you, Liv. And I don’t want to see what would happen to Scott if he did,” she admitted.
“Neither of you will,” I stressed. I let go, giving her a brief hug, and left the room while my face still held the confidence I was faking. I didn’t know if I would make it or not, but I prayed we would find a solution. I wasn’t ready to die, to leave everyone I love, to leave Scott. We had to find a way.
Sadie
Avoiding Aiden wasn’t easy. In fact, it was near impossible. Most of the time, he seemed to be seeking me out, eager to talk and find out what happened, why it happened, what it meant. I kicked myself over and over for my stupidity and did the only thing I knew to do, run and hide. Telling Olivia about that night was horrendous. I never wanted to experience that embarrassment again and prayed she didn’t tell my brother.
I snuck out of the room minutes after she left, headed to the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat, then to my room to work on my schoolwork. I was ahead of my class, almost so much so that I could be placed in another class, and let’s face it…I wouldn’t age all that much in a few years, so I could always repeat this year if I must. Keeping Olivia safe and alive was more important to me, but my parents thought otherwise. They insisted I finish the year at home, and I was grateful for that. Most parents would not be that generous, but mine saw how unique the situation was, how imperative it was I assist in the journey. I rounded the corner, my body bumping straight into the chest I knew so well. The impact startled me, knocking me off balance, and I fell flat on my butt.
“Sadie, are you ok?” Aiden asked, kneeling beside me to assist me up.
“I’m fine,” I growled, ignoring his offered hand.
“Why are you doing this? What did I do?” he pleaded. The hurt in his voice was almost too much. It spoke to my heart, begging me to just talk to him and be honest, tell him how I felt. I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t the right time, nor was I anywhere near ready to deal with someone like him and the feelings he brought to the surface.
“Doing what?” I asked, picking at my nails. It was a bad habit, one I’d picked up in my younger years. I usually only did it when I was nervous, but who was I kidding, Aiden made me more than nervous.
“You infuriate me,” he yelled, throwing his hands up in the air.
Crossing my arms, I snaked my head, cocked my hip, and smiled. “Good.”
“You...” he pointed at me, then paced in front of me. Stopping he stepped closer, reaching out to run his fingers through the ends of my hair. “You’re so beautiful, even if you do drive me crazy,” he said huskily.
My heartbeat quickened. He was going to kiss me, I knew it. I had to distract him, stop him, something. He’d kissed Olivia weeks before, he obviously didn’t know what he wanted. I didn’t think, only acted. A burst of energy released from me, sending him shooting backward, landing in the same position I was in minutes ago. “Maybe I want to drive you crazy,” I said coyly, side-stepping him and his shocked expression, walking slowly and confidently to the kitchen to prepare my meal.
Aiden
She drove me crazy. Off the wall, pull my hair out, want to jump under a bus crazy. And it was fascinating. Her graceful nature, sassy and sarcastic attitude, and quick wit were enough to keep me on my toes, but throw in her sexy innocence and I was a puddle. I pulled myself up off the floor, quickly surveying the area to see if anyone saw her knock me down. She was a sorcerer, but she still got the best of me. I headed in the opposite direction she went, bounding out the front door and softly pulling it closed behind me. Sitting on the steps, I breathed in the fresh air, feeling it expand in my lungs, feed my soul, and hotly escape. Repeating the process until I was somewhat calmer, I closed my eyes, allowing the sun to seep into my skin. The rays tingled and caressed my body, leaving warmth all over me.
“Aiden,” an unfamiliar voice hissed in my right ear.
I opened my eyes, searching for the source. “Hello?” I called.
“Aiiideeeen,” it hissed again, sounding like a snake.
I stood, clenching my fists tightly, preparing for some sort of attack. “Who’s there?”
“You can’t hide from me,” it cackled. A surge of energy, wind, something came from nowhere, knocking me on my butt once again. I landed with a thud on the porch, the boards creaking under the impact. Behind me, the door flew open, revealing Sadie and her mother rushing out to me.
“What happened, dear?” Sabrina asked, her face so similar to Sadie’s I often had to do a double take.
I glanced at her, then my eyes settled on Sadie. “I heard a voice…it knew my name and it said I can’t hide from it.” I watched as her eyes widened, face paled, and she instantly started chewing on her nails.
“Well, this can’t be good,” her mother mumbled. She looked me over, “Any injuries?” she questioned, her voice caring and motherly.
“Nah, just sore. This is the second time today I was knocked down like that,” I smirked, directing the glare and words at her daughter.
Sadie’s eyes narrowed, all compassion she held for me gone.
Sabrina looked from me to her, then back to me, eyebrows raised. “Is there something going on I don’t know about? Did something happen?”
Sadie’s eyes popped, silently pleading with me to not tell her mother anything.
“No, ma’am. I’m clumsy,” I grinned, praying my charm worked on her.
She laughed, standing and offering a hand to me. I took it, but didn’t use it, putting all my weight on my feet. We started inside and I couldn’t stop the dread from washing over me, causing the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. I was being watched…very closely.
Scott
Things were…crazy. Aiden heard voices, Sadie was acting plain weird, Livvie was tiptoeing around me after her admission, and Grandma was quiet, a recluse after telling us her story. The pressure of everything was sitting on me, heavy and pushing tightly against my chest. Our situation was bad. Mom and Dad were watching everyone, silently waiting for Sebastian to return or for The Crimson Calamitous to rear his evil head to capture Aiden. I’d never seen my mother so worried, or my grandmother so closed off.
Seated at the kitchen table, the oak gleaming where Mom had cleaned it for the fiftieth time that day, I slouched and thought. Thinking was my main activity these days. I withdrew from my classes, the burden of everything taking its toll and reflecting in my work. It was nearing the end of September, Sadie’s birthday in mere days, and we had seven months to find an answer. Seven months before Livvie died. Seven months.
The number seven haunted me. It showed up everywhere, laughed in my face, and left, only to reappear again the next place I turned to. Yesterday at the grocery store, the total was $7.77. Today, the TV kept talking about 7 p.m. It never ended. I’d finally had enough, slamming the remote down and breaking it, hoping everyone took a hint and left it off.
I heard the footsteps behind me, the shuffling of shoes on the carpet, turning to clicks on the tile. Grandma was in the room, but I didn’t know what mood she would be in today, if she would talk. I snuck a peek at her, surprised to see she wasn’t as tired looking. The bags under her eyes were a glimpse of what they’d been. She’d gotten dressed, made up her face, fixed her hair. I lowered my face back down, trying to hide the smile playing at my lips. She didn’t speak to me, didn’t even look in my direction, but it was alright. The embarrassment of her story had apparently worn off, allowing her to be the strong, confident sorceress I knew and loved. I stayed at that table, going over everything in my mind multiple times, until everyone poured in to begin cooking our meal.
Olivia
“Anna,” I called gently, pushing the door open with my foot. I held two cups of tea, brewed by my own magical abilities, resting in my hands.
She peered up from her work table, her blue eyes piercing my gaze. “Olivia,” she smiled, seemingly pleasantly surprised.
I grinned back, kicking the door back shut. “I brought us tea, and I thought we could chat.”
She nodded, taking one of the steaming mugs from me. “About what, dear?”
“What you told us the other day,” I admitted cautiously. “I just…I think it was very brave, what you did and telling us, and I just wanted to talk to you about it.”
“Oh, it was hardly brave,” she said, blowing gently on the drink.
I sat, twisting the cup around on the table in front of me. “Do you ever wish you’d found your heart mate?”
She shook her head, sat the mug down, and gave me a soul penetrating stare. “I don’t regret one thing. I wouldn’t be here. My life would be different, set on an unknown path. I look at you and Scott, young love blossoming with the hope, joy, and excitement it brings, and my heart is happy. I only wish this curse wasn’t on our family. Olivia, we will keep you safe, I guarantee it. If I have to sacrifice myself, I will. You will not lose your life over this.”
I gulped, loudly, making my face get hot with embarrassment. “Sadie has theories on how to fix this.”
“I know. Sadie is a brilliant young sorceress. I have no doubts all her studying will pay off. We just have to stay positive, keep working towards our goal, and all will be fine.” She sipped her tea, sighing after she swallowed. “This is really good tea,” she said, smiling. “What kind is it?”
“The Olivia-brewed-it-with-magic-and-prayed-it-turned-out-good tea?” I joked.
She laughed loudly, circling around to place her arm around me. “You are getting better. Keep it up. The training everyone is making you do is definitely going to make you stronger and more efficient.”
“I will,” I agreed, putting my arms around her for a tight hug. “Thank you, Anna, for everything. You are a blessing.”
###
Kyle lay on the grass in the backyard, his legs stretched out in front of him, his arms resting behind his head. I snuck up, moving as quietly as possible through the yard. Good thing I had no shoes on at the moment, or he would have heard the crunch of leaves and dead grass below my feet. I moved stealthily, inching close to him, and yelling “Boo!”
He was on his feet in an instant, quick as Juniper it seemed like, his eyes wide and wild. His body was positioned to fight, legs apart, arms at his sides and fists balled. He sniffed the air, something I was not expecting, and finally caught sight of me. “You scared me,” he huffed.
“Kyle, did you just sniff the air?” I questioned, moving slowly toward him.
“No,” he said all too quickly. “I’m not weird.”
“I saw you. How did you move that fast?” My voice quivered a little now. Something was off…not right.
“I didn’t. I just jumped up, Liv. You scared the living daylights out of me. I thought that evil spirit or those men were here to get me,” he said, voice raised.
He did look scared, now that he mentioned it, but I knew there was something he was keeping from me…something more happening than he was letting on. I dropped the subject, seeing in his gaze that this was finished. I would bring it up again…I would find out what caused my brother to react the way he did.
Sadie
“You like that boy,” Juniper sassed, smiling widely. I was afraid her face would break or something with a grin like that.
“I do not like him,” I growled, for the umpteenth time in the past two weeks.
“Do, too,” she taunted.
We sat in our room, chatting before bed, like we did every night. Juniper joined us sometimes, but it was usually just Olivia and me. We’d grown closer, becoming more like sisters than I ever imagined. Growing up with three brothers had been…rough to say the least. If they weren’t picking on me, they were ignoring me. And Olivia and Kyle were years apart, and only recently had they grown closer. We’d found a much needed bond between each other, a strong connection both of us was grateful for, but scared of losing.
“I’m ignoring you now,” I mumbled, rolling on my side, back facing them.
“J, leave her alone,” Liv laughed. “She doesn’t want to admit it yet. Besides, we have more important things to talk about.”
I turned, glaring at her, “What now?”
“Your birthday is tomorrow,” she squealed, then glanced at the clock. “Ok, well, it’s in a couple of hours. Even better!”
Rolling my eyes, I hid my head under the covers. “I’m not celebrating my birthday.” My voice was muffled under the blankets. The air grew hot and stuffy from the enclosure and no oxygen. I flung them off, gasping for deep breaths, only to see both girls staring at me with party hats on. Groaning, I attempted to cover myself back up.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Juniper said. She’d rushed to my side with her inhuman speed and taken the blankets from me before I had time to realize what was happening.
“That’s not fair,” I said through clenched teeth. I smirked at her, turned my head to the side, and blasted her with a fraction of the energy I contained. She dropped the blanket, stumbled back into the dresser, and fell on her butt. I couldn’t stop the laughter from pouri
ng out of me.
“And that’s fair?” she mocked, grinning at me. “You better be glad that didn’t hurt me.”
“You’re immortal, Juniper. Nothing can hurt you,” Olivia said with an exasperated gaze.
“I forget,” she shrugged, on her feet in the blink of an eye. “Now, Sadie, we have to get you in a better mood for your sixteenth birthday, girl. This is a big deal. You can drive soon!”
“I’ve known how to drive for years,” I said mildly. Their mouths fell open, and I chuckled at their responses. “It’s not so hard when you can control the car any way you want,” I shrugged.
“We mean, really drive, and you know, you’re almost an adult and stuff. This is a big birthday. You have to be excited, Sadie,” Olivia pleaded with me. She was beyond excited for my big day, as she called it. I didn’t understand the deal, why it was so important. In a few years, I wouldn’t age for a very long time, so why be so excited now?
“Just one year closer to me not aging anymore,” I grumbled.
“Are you upset about that?” Juniper questioned, the shock evident in her dropped mouth and stone stance.
“You’re not?” I asked, genuinely surprised. “You’re going to look seventeen forever. I’ll look twenty-five for what will feel like ever. I’ve heard my parents complain about it. It gets tiring, constantly explaining your age to everyone. I’m not really looking forward to that.”
She sat down beside Olivia, both of them hanging their heads in shame. “We hadn’t thought of it that way,” Olivia admitted. “I guess that can get old…”
I nodded. “I mean, I’m glad you all are excited and thank you, I appreciate it. It’s just not a big deal to me.”
“We still got you presents,” Juniper snapped, hand on hip, sassing me yet again.
I laughed. Juniper had a way of making light of any situation. “That’s ok, I really like presents.”
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