by Alicia Rades
“Which means we’re screwed,” Fiona said. “If we don’t get their help, we’re not going to stand a chance against Matias and his Magical Merry Men.”
Jenna placed her hands on her hips and sighed. “So, what happens now?”
“Maybe we should just take a step back,” Ryland suggested from the piano bench. “The DMR will handle it eventually.”
My jaw dropped. How could he suggest such a thing?
Ryland exchanged a glance with Teagan that I couldn’t quite read. “I mean, why does it have to be us?”
“Seriously?” I snapped. “You’re always up for a fight, but as soon as you’re not the big bad bear anymore, you’re backing down? Wow.”
“It’s not like that—”
“The better question is why not us?” I said. “We gave Matias the locket and led him to the Artifact. It’s kind of our fault.”
Ryland scoffed. “Finally you admit something’s your fault.”
The room burst into a chorus of voices coming to my defense. I couldn’t even make out what each of them said.
Fiona slapped her brother hard in the shoulder. “I thought we agreed you were over that.”
Ryland rubbed his shoulder and scowled at her. “Yeah, well…”
“What are you suggesting?” Jenna demanded of him. “We just give in? Let Matias take over and kill anyone who opposes him?”
Ronark shook his head. “We can’t do that.”
Ryland opened his mouth to respond, but Venn stood to face him before he could. “Rae’s right. We’ve been a part of this from the start, and we’re not backing down now. The fact is, no one else is going to step up.”
“Agreed.” I got to my feet beside Venn. “Magic or not, we have to do something about this. This isn’t about a personal vengeance anymore. This is about speaking up for those without a voice, for saving the people he’s hurt and the ones he will hurt. I believe we’re here for a reason, that we’ve all survived for a reason. Synchrony has chosen us to restore the balance. We will retribute just punishment for Matias’s crimes.”
Ryland held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, but what’s your plan? Because right now, it doesn’t look like we stand a chance.”
“It didn’t look like we stood a chance against Valkas, either,” I shot back. “We beat him against all odds. We can do the same with Matias.”
Ryland looked to Teagan again. This time, I caught a softness in his expression, like he was worried. “We could get ourselves killed. Is it worth it?”
“Hell yeah, it is!” I replied. “What kind of a question is that?”
“Look, Ryland,” Venn said sympathetically. “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to fight,” Ryland insisted. “I believe in this cause as much as the rest of you. I’m just trying to think realistically here. If we’re willing to put our lives on the line, fine, I’m all for it. Just as long as we all understand the risks. Because right now, I just don’t see how we stand a chance against Matias.”
Genevieve took a long, deep breath. “I think there’s a way to level the playing field a bit.”
Sondra immediately perked up. “How?”
Genevieve stepped forward and stopped behind Sondra’s chair. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to give a quick demonstration—an experiment, if you will. Do you trust me?”
Sondra hesitated. I knew the two of them had a long history together. Genevieve had been Sondra’s mentor years ago as she learned magic. When Sondra went out on her own, Genevieve had loaned her money that she’d been struggling to pay off—until we forfeited the Leora Locket to Matias in exchange for Sondra’s safety. He’d paid her enough to repay her debts. Even though the debt was resolved, I could still feel the tension between them.
“Y-yes,” Sondra said. She cleared her throat and spoke more clearly. “Yes, I trust you.”
Genevieve pulled a small vial of purple liquid from the folds of her black dress and held it out to Sondra. “I’d like you to drink it.”
Sondra took the vial and eyed it curiously. “What is it?”
“It’s a healing potion I whipped up months ago,” Genevieve explained. “It’s as good of a potion as any to see if my theory is correct.”
“You think… potions could still work?” Sondra asked.
Genevieve nodded. “I don’t think The Wise Owl is capable of removing all magic, only from allowing another person to access new magic. Anything we’ve created in the past should still hold its magical properties—potions, magical artifacts, that sort of thing.”
Sondra pulled the cork out of the vial. “I guess we should test that theory, then.”
Sondra put the vial to her lips and tilted her head back. The purple liquid slid down her throat. It felt as if the whole room was holding a collective breath.
Several seconds passed, and nothing happened. No one even made a sound. Then suddenly, the potion took effect. The swelling on Sondra’s eye shrank to normal, and the bruises slowly faded. The cut above her eyebrow knitted itself back together right in front of our eyes. I’d never seen any sort of healing spell work so quickly.
“Wow,” Jenna whispered, breaking the silence.
Sondra brought her fingers to her face and pressed on the areas that’d been affected only moments ago. A look of amazement crossed her eyes, then she turned her gaze up to Genevieve. “That was a really powerful potion. It must’ve been really complicated. You didn’t have to waste it on me.”
Genevieve smirked. “Yes, well, unless you wanted me to give you fear-inducing hallucinations for the next five hours, I figured this was the safest bet for testing the theory. Now that we know potions will work, we can use them against Matias.”
“What do we have available to us?” Sondra asked.
“Not much,” Genevieve replied. “I have guns and a few magical weapons, potions that will act like bombs when poured out of their container.”
Sondra shot her a questioning glance, as if to ask why she would keep such a thing around. Genevieve didn’t seem to notice.
“But I’m hoping to gather more,” Genevieve said. “If we can get other witches on our side, we can bring in more potions and artifacts so we stand a better chance against Matias.”
“So we build a magical army of our own,” I said, thrilled with the idea.
Genevieve nodded. “Precisely. It will take time, but I think we can do it.”
Sondra stood, looking hopeful. “I think it’s a brilliant idea.”
“What happens after we have our army, though?” Venn asked. “We can't just walk straight up to Vayne Tower and steal the Artifact back.”
“We lure him out,” Genevieve said simply.
“We’re forgetting something,” Fiona pointed out. All eyes turned to her. “The Leora Locket. He still has it. He’ll be able to anticipate our moves.”
“You let me work out those details,” Genevieve said. “I’m trained in mind manipulation. I can misguide him. When the time comes, we will take any and all measures to retrieve that artifact. I don't care if we have to kill Matias and his men to do it. He's not going to win.”
I stepped forward. “Let's do it.”
A chorus of agreement traveled around the room, before all eyes finally turned to Ryland and Teagan for their answer. Teagan chewed on her lower lip and looked to Ryland. It was so unlike her. She’d never had any magic, and she’d always been willing to go up against supernaturals with five times her strength and speed. What was holding her back now?
Finally, Ryland breathed a sigh. “We’re in.”
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Sondra furrowed her brow. “You already called in some favors, didn’t you?”
I already knew the answer. Genevieve had called them in the car, and I’d heard most of their conversation.
Genevieve smiled. “Yes. Though we haven’t gotten along in the past, we’ve agreed to put our differences aside for now.”
“Who?
” Sondra asked.
Genevieve turned to the doorway. “Friends of yours. I believe you’re familiar with Clarita White and Amalia Taylor.”
5
I followed Genevieve out into the hall. She opened the door to two familiar women. Clarita wore a baby blue 1950s style dress that showed off her curves. Her dark bangs were clipped back, but she had on the same cat-eye glasses as when I first met her. Amalia had long blonde curls and wore high-heeled boots over skinny jeans. They both carried luggage bags with them.
“Thank you for coming,” Genevieve said before the other two could get in a word. She swung the door open wider to invite them inside.
“Thank you for calling us,” Clarita said as she stepped into the hall.
Genevieve bent down several inches, and the two exchanged kisses on both cheeks. It was meant to be a friendly gesture, but it felt stoic, like neither of them felt comfortable in each other’s presence.
I didn’t get why no one liked Genevieve. Yeah, she looked kind of scary with the dark hair, pointed look, and black lace, but she’d been helping us this whole time without asking anything in return. I didn’t know where we’d be without her.
Clarita’s eyes met mine as Genevieve moved on to greet Amalia. “Rachel!”
Clarita dropped her bags and rushed to me with her arms out. She pulled me into a hug, and I squeezed her back. I’d only met Clarita once, but I already felt like I knew her.
“How’d the island go?” she asked.
My shoulders fell. “Well, it’s kind of the reason we’re in this mess now.”
“Nonsense. It’s not your fault.”
“I killed Valkas, so it kind of is.” I bit my lower lip.
Clarita frowned. “Did everyone make it off okay? Your sister?”
I smiled. “Yeah, I found her. She made it.”
My eyes turned back to the sitting room, and I spotted Jenna, Venn, and Sondra in the doorway watching us.
“This is my sister, Jenna,” I told Clarita, gesturing to her.
Jenna stepped forward and shook Clarita’s hand.
“Jenna, this is Clarita. She helped me find you.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jenna said. “Thank you for your help.”
Clarita waved her hand like it was no big deal. “My pleasure. Sondra, how have you been? It’s been awhile.”
Clarita moved on to greet Sondra, while Amalia approached me.
I gave her a hug and said, “Thank you, by the way. For helping Venn when that guy cursed him.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Amalia smiled and turned to Venn. “You’re looking great.”
“Thanks to you.” Venn hugged her.
Suddenly, it felt a little claustrophobic in the hall as more and more people stepped out of the sitting room and into the hallway. Venn and I slipped into the door behind us to make room for everyone else. The room we entered was dark and quiet, with black curtains covering the windows. Bookshelves lined the walls, with all sorts of tomes and potion vials everywhere. The leather-bound book that had been lain across one of the tables last time I was in here was nowhere to be found.
Venn took a deep breath and began pacing around the room slowly. He reached out his fingers to touch the spines of the books as he passed.
“Are you okay?” I came up behind him and slipped my fingers into his. “You look deep in thought.”
Venn dropped his hand and turned his gaze to mine. “Yeah. I’m just thinking about what Genevieve said, how we can use different types of magic against Matias. I’m wondering if maybe there’s an artifact out there that can counteract The Wise Owl’s effects.”
I scanned the old books in front of us, but none of them had words on the spines. “Genevieve has so many books. Maybe there’s something in one of them.”
I glanced toward the hallway, but no one was watching us. “Do you think she’ll be okay with us looking through them?”
I reached for the book closest to me and pulled it off the shelf. It was a thick hardback, at least five-hundred pages. When I opened it, the smell of old pages hit my nose. I thumbed through the pages to find endless words and diagrams on different types of spells. The whole book seemed to be about how to summon spirits.
“Mm…” I mused. “I’ve never done a séance before. You?”
Venn gently took my hands and closed the book. “No, and you don’t want to try. Séances are dangerous. You never know what kind of spirit you might accidentally summon. It’s not exactly considered a form of white magic.”
I returned the book to its spot, feeling a little disappointed. It’d be cool to talk to the dead. My mind instantly went to my parents, but I quickly pushed the thought away. It would only tempt me.
“Hey, guys!” Fiona practically danced into the room, looking chipper as always. “What are you up to?”
“Making out,” I teased.
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to interrupt that,” she replied, playing along.
Venn chuckled. “Relax. We’re just talking about magic. Maybe there’s something in one of Genevieve's books that can help us with Matias—like information on an artifact or something.”
“Good idea. Mind if I help?” Fiona reached around us to grab a book off the shelf and began flipping through it. “Oh, cool! Necromancy.”
“Not cool.” Venn grabbed the book out of her hand before she could read anything out of it. He slammed it shut and grabbed another book. He quickly flipped through it, then handed it to her. “Try tarot card reading. A lot less dangerous.”
“Come on,” Fiona complained. “You don’t want to have a little fun raising the dead?”
“A little fun could get you killed,” Venn said. “You know that falls into the realm of black magic.”
Maybe that’s what we need, I thought.
“Okay.” Fiona gave in. “No raising zombies. Not like I could even if I tried.”
“Who’s raising zombies?” Genevieve breezed into the room.
Fiona threw her book back on the shelf, like she was a kid who’d got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
“No one,” Venn said sternly.
“Shame.” Genevieve frowned. “I always wanted to try that spell.”
“Hey, Genevieve,” I said. “Is it cool if we look through your books to see if there are any potions or artifacts that might help us against Matias?”
She shrugged. “Have at it. You’ll do best to start at the bottom. The top two shelves cover rituals and spells, which won’t be very useful now that our magic is gone.”
“Cool.” I bent and pulled a pile of books off the shelf, then plopped them on the table in the middle of the room. “Well, Venn, Fiona. I hope you guys like reading.”
Venn smirked and sat in the chair beside me. “I was born for this.”
“I’ll grab some sticky notes to bookmark pages,” Fiona said. “And maybe some popcorn?”
I sat beside Venn and opened the first book off the pile. “Definitely some popcorn. It’s going to be a long night.”
I didn’t know how late it was, but I knew we'd been sitting here for hours. Venn had taken a phone call at least an hour ago and hadn’t returned since. I wasn’t sure if he was still on the phone or had fallen asleep. Since he left, the room had been pretty quiet as both Fiona and I dove into the endless books. I'd been reading so long that my eyes were starting to water. Which was weird, because I was parched and didn't feel like I had an ounce of water left in my body.
I closed my book and looked up at her with heavy eyes. She’d tied her hair up in a messy bun and looked about ready to pass out from exhaustion.
“Maybe we should call it a night,” I suggested. I ran my finger over the sticky notes sticking out of the book I'd been flipping through. “I've bookmarked over half a dozen spells that sound interesting, but none of them are going to help us. You find anything yet?”
“I found a piece of popcorn in my cleavage,” she replied with a hopeless sigh.
“Not really the
kind of thing we're looking for.”
“Oh.” She sounded both tired and disappointed. “I was just reading about these types of artifacts. They're just called trinkets in the book, but they can suppress a person's magic if they’re a threat.”
Fiona turned her book to me. All across the page were pictures of various trinkets, like jewelry, keys, and broaches. These artifacts could be anything.
“I think we sold trinkets when I worked at Bloodstone,” I said thoughtfully as I scanned the page. “Devin never called them that, though. We just called them protection charms. This could work…”
I looked farther down the page. “Never mind. It says here they don't work on other artifacts.”
“But if we got one close enough to Matias, it might affect his ability to use the Owl,” Fiona pointed out.
I pressed my lips together. “Good point. Do you think we can get our hands on one?”
Fiona shrugged. “The book makes it sound like they're pretty common. Creating them doesn't take a lot of magic, but it also means they're not super powerful. Witches used to use them as sort of protection charms. If they wore a trinket, it kept other witches from casting curses on them. But it wouldn't completely suppress another witch's powers. Only weaken them a bit.”
“Maybe weakening Matias is all we need,” I said. “Let's talk to Genevieve and Sondra in the morning and see if they know anything about trinkets. In the meantime—”
I was cut off by the sound of a door slamming down the hall, followed by a string of curse words. First came a woman's voice, then the muffled sound of a man's.
“Screw you, Ronark!” Jenna yelled. “You don't know shit about me.”
“You think I don't know how it feels?” he shouted back.
I left my books on the table and rushed out of the room. I turned down the hall to the guest rooms and stopped in my tracks.
Jenna stood outside Ronark's door, looking like a total wreck. Her short dark hair was in disarray, and her face was red and blotchy.
“Jenna?” I stepped toward her cautiously. “Are you okay?”
Her bottom lip quivered, like she was trying to hold her emotions back. Suddenly, she cracked, and tears began streaming down her face. “No, Rachel. I'm not okay.”
