by A. N. Sage
“Miss Stonewall,” he said after clearing his throat. “You’re free to go.”
I knew it! Those magnificent, magical bitches!
Not missing a beat, I jumped off the cot and met him by the barred doors that held my freedom. “Can I ask why?” I asked.
“Someone came forward with your alibi,” the officer answered, his eyes never meeting mine. “But I wouldn’t leave town yet if I was you.”
He turned the key and swung the enormous door open to let me through and I plastered a blank expression on my face. I was not about to let him see me smile; he didn’t deserve it. As I followed him down the corridor, I kept my eyes forward, even when my cough-infested cellmate yelled profanities in my direction. Nothing would ruin this moment for me. I was free and now I had something the witch didn’t expect; I knew what I was looking for. Don’t worry, officer, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon…
A Tough Cookie
My excitement was momentary as the officers processed me out, handed me my belongings, and handed me off to the person who helped secure my freedom.
River’s face was impossible to read, but I wagered it was somewhere between irritation and confusion. I shrank in my spot before slipping the moonstone ring bank on and tightening the clasp of the pendant Ms. Broussard gave me over my neck. My eyes met River’s and blood rushed to my cheeks as I let the embarrassment take hold of me.
In my haste to figure out what happened in the library, I had forgotten that I texted him. Now I was stuck having to be grateful to the hunter for rescuing me like I was some damsel in distress. Nothing could be worse than this.
River tapped his driving moccasins on the cement and arched an eyebrow my way while grinning. Nope, that’s worse. Cocky bastard!
I cleared my throat and walked over. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“Kinda did. But if you’d rather, I can go back and tell them I haven’t seen you all night and that I lied when I told them you were with me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I had it covered.”
“Yeah, looks like it…” He unlocked the car and gestured me inside. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
“Shit!” I screeched. “The Chandlers!”
River laughed. “Don’t stress, I took care of it. Told them we were studying and lost track of time. There’s a change of clothes for you in the back seat.”
A cruiser pulled up beside us and I took that as my cue to get in. My hands reached around back to pull out a small paper bag that held a pair of black leggings and a tee with the logo of a band I’ve never heard of. As soon as River ducked into the driver’s seat, I shot him a glare that meant I had questions that needed answers.
“Peyton put it together for you,” he said and motioned to the clothes, “she said it’s the only thing she had that looked like what normal people wear.”
A laugh escaped me as I looked over the rips and safety pins that held the tee together. My friend sure had an interesting idea of what normal meant.
The drive back to the Chandler home was silent and I found myself constantly distracted by the slight noises River made. Every grunt and sigh as he swerved the Tesla down the gloomy streets sent shivers down my legs and I had to dig my ring into my thigh to keep myself together. We hate him, Billie. Remember that we HATE him. Please! But I couldn’t, at least not really. I did not understand what these feelings were but hate was not one of them. He came through for me and I couldn’t wrap my mind around that. A witch hunter saved me and I didn’t even have to ask him to do that. Well, I sort of did when I texted him but still, it was a friendly gesture. And now, because of him, I didn’t have to deal with telling the High Coven about my brief run-in with the police and could avoid the boring lectures that would likely follow that.
River slowed down when we reached my street and cracked open a window. Frosty air rushed the inside of the car, forcing the scent of his cologne into my throat. The hair on my arms rose and my body shivered as an image of his lips on mine flashed before my eyes. I shook my head, clearing my throat several times just to snap out of it.
“You okay?” River asked and pulled into the driveway.
From this angle and with the darkness of the evening spread across the yard, the Chandlers’ home looked a lot less obnoxious than I remembered it being. The wraparound porch that I considered hideous and over-the-top was welcoming and I was relieved to be back. I tucked a hair behind my ear and blew out a breath, clutching the clothes Peyton lent me to my chest.
“I guess I should change before they come out here and find me looking like a murder victim.”
“Um, yeah, okay.” River nodded and opened the car door. “I’ll wait outside.”
He got out of the car, a little too slow if you ask me, and turned his back to me. Wait, is he serious? He wants me to change here? NOW? In front of him?!? No, no, NO! I kicked the seat then looked back to the house. I couldn’t very well stomp through there covered in blood and running behind some random bush to change was just going to get the motion-censored floodlights going. I was doomed.
“You done?”
“Not even close!” I snapped and checked to make sure he wasn’t looking. “Keep your eyes closed, pervert!”
I could hear him chuckle through the window and my blood roiled at the sound. Stupid, hot, idiot. My hands moved to rip my clothes off so I could wiggle into whatever Peyton put together. The top was easy to maneuver but changing into the leggings was a feat unlike any I faced before; and I’ve once vanquished four shadowers in one go. My knees hit every hard surface and I felt like a deer trapped in a clown car. As soon as I got the torture chamber that was the leggings Peyton provided on, I glanced over myself. This was not good. The rips in the tee were scandalously positioned to reveal every bit of cleavage my chest offered and I could already see my boobs trying to make an appearance. I had half the mind to put my bloodied leather back on but thought better of it, choosing instead to flip the top over backward. It wasn’t much better but at least the holes on this side went up higher. When I managed to get everything more or less in place, I knocked on the window to let River know it was safe to come back inside.
His eyes drifted over me so slowly that I had to check if I missed a hole and my boob wasn’t hanging out or something. It wasn’t, thank the Goddess. River gave me another glance and his cheeks flushed. “Looks good on you,” he whispered.
“Uh, thanks?”
Why was that a question, Billie? Just say thank you. What is wrong with you?
“I mean, thank you. It actually fits. Sort of,” I added.
“Sure does…” River purred.
The leather seat cushion swelled around me and I could feel myself sink back, ready to disappear in its hold. He reached a hand over to rest on the back of the passenger seat and leaned in. Is he going to kiss me? Oh, sweet mother of fae, he’s going for it! I closed my eyes and breathed out as the space between us closed and River was inches away. He shifted in his seat and reached for my face. My lids tightened and I tilted my head to get closer to him but before I could lean in, frigid air hit me smack on the forehead. I opened one eye and found River holding a small branch in his hand.
“This was in your hair.”
Oh. OH! My cheeks reddened and I snatched the branch from his fingers. “Thanks, I forgot where I left that.”
I only got a half-smile for that. Made sense, a half-smile for a half-assed joked.
“Billie, seriously,” he scolded, “are you okay?”
I nodded then shook my head no then nodded again. “I don’t know.”
“That text you sent,” he whispered, “I was terrified. I was going crazy when I showed up and saw the cops taking you away. I seriously almost tackled them right there and then but I figured both of us getting locked up was not the best play. If something happened to you… I don’t know. It really shook me seeing you like that.”
“Something did happen. Just not to me.”
He furrowed his brow and turned
to look at me. Really look at me in a way I can’t remember anyone else looking before; like he was trying to understand who I was. We had that in common. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to find the body. I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you. I should have been. Someone should have been.”
The concern in his voice was so real and so touching that I found myself wanting to wrap my arms around him and never letting him go. In my entire life, no one had ever asked me if I was all right. They just assumed I would be because they trained me to do what I do. The closest I ever got to genuine concern was when Luna found me behind a dumpster with a broken leg after a particular gruesome shadower attack and even then I felt nothing this close to happiness. River cared for me. Not the hunter or the hot boy with the killer V at his waist, but him—the real River.
Tears pooled behind my lids and I blinked them away.
“It’s fine. I’m a tough cookie, I can handle it.”
We were silent for a few moments, staring at each other like this was the last time we’d get to be this quiet for the rest of our lives. River breathed and I found my own lungs matching his pace. My heart ached with every intake of air but I didn’t look away. I couldn’t.
“I have something to tell you,” River said, breaking the silence.
Oh, Goddess, what now?
“My friends found something else, something that ties the murders together. And…”
“And?” I pressed.
“And it’s not what we thought. At least not what I thought. It’s not a hunter.”
I leaned into him. “Then who?” Or who do YOU think it is?
“They got a hold of the police files, don’t ask how. There were things at the crime scenes that the cops wouldn’t have looked for but obviously, we would notice them because—”
“Because you’re hunters.”
“Yep.” He nodded.
“What did they find? Your friends, I mean.”
“Magic,” River whispered. “They found magic.”
What in the actual hell? I arched my eyebrows so high they almost kissed my hairline. “What do you mean they found magic?”
“I mean they found evidence of magic use. Same ones at each crime scene. Like someone performed a ritual before they killed the students. I’m willing to bet that girl you found had the same things around her.”
“Peach wood, amethyst dust, salt,” I whispered in between clenched jaws.
“Yes! How did you know?”
“I, uh…” I peeled my gaze off him. “I saw the same thing. In the library before the cops got there. And you’re right, it’s ritualistic, at least from what I know about this stuff.”
“See!” River pushed my shoulder and smiled. “This is why we need you! You and Peyton have a knack for this stuff. I know you said you were into all this paranormal stuff.”
“So? Lots of people are.”
“Yeah, but lots of people don’t know about my extracurricular activities.” He wiggled his eyebrows in that cute way I couldn’t resist. “We could really use your help on this.”
“No freakin’ way! I am not getting in the middle of— Wait, are you saying I get to meet the other hunters?”
River nodded and my stomach did somersaults; and this time, it wasn’t from the way his pecs tightened under his thin cotton shirt when he moved. This was what I had been waiting for; a chance to find out who his friends were.
“So, you in?” River asked.
I looked him up and down, my eyes spending a little too much time on his chest area. “Hell, yes! I am one hundred percent in!”
How Much Do You Know?
Dragon’s Blood smelled like an actual heap of steamy garbage when mixed with eyebright and I had to pinch my nose shut as I dabbed the compact mirror in my hand with the paste. I damn near retched four times before I had the mirror covered.
I had woken up several hours before I needed to get ready for school to teleport my dagger from the evidence locker and perform a scrying spell on my bloodied jacket hoping to have it lead me to the witch responsible for the murders. So far, all I had was a mess on the floor of my bathroom and a dirty mirror that smelled like crap. Excellent start.
I grimaced and rolled the pearl I purchased at the Crystal Cauldron between my fingers. Despite its small size, it had enough water element locked inside that I knew it would do the trick for the spell. Pearls were notorious in power containment for anything water-related which made them an ideal gemstone to use in a scrying spell. If I could get my head to stop spinning long enough to perform it, of course. Last night still shook me and I barely got a wink of sleep before the alarm blared in my ear at four in the morning.
The pearl rolled over my palm and I shut my eyes.
Around me, the room grew quiet and I perked my ears to listen to the distant sound of the ocean that emanated from the stone. It was faint and light and I swayed to the hum of the waves crashing to shore. My lids fluttered and I breathed into my magic, forcing it to accept the offering of power in my steady hand. Waves clashed in my mind as I connected to the element and grabbed hold. I fisted my hand around the pearl and squeezed until I could feel my palms grow wet with magic. Arm outstretched, I held my fist sideways over the mirror and let a few drops of water drip unto the surface. The mirror buzzed and shook, levitating off the floor to creep closer to my hand.
My eyes snapped open and I smiled before yanking it from mid-air.
As carefully as I could manage, I tilted the mirror to face the stained jacket I laid out next to me and waited. In my hand, I could feel the mirror fight against me and it shook under my hold. I grit my teeth and pushed more magic into it, stretching it closer to the jacket. A bright, blue glow surrounded the mirror and my lips curled into a smile. Got you, sucker!
My fingers tightened on the sleek surface and I laid the mirror on the floor, crouching over it like a spider. My eyes narrowed and my a breath of air jammed itself deep in my throat. Any minute now, the mirror should reflect the face of anyone that had been in contact with my jacket or the blood spilled over it. Any… minute…
I waited two more minutes and groaned before cursing under my breath. Why didn’t it work? WHY?
Jaw-clenched, I raised the mirror to the jacket again and shook it. “Hello? Anyone there?”
The mirror shivered and the blue glow intensified but nothing appeared.
“Damn it!” I cursed and kicked it to the side. I glanced at the dagger that was still sealed in the evidence bag with yellow tape plastered across the ziplock. At least the retrieval worked without a hitch.
This witch was better prepared than I thought, she must have known I’d try this and blocked herself from the spell. My hands reached for the grimoire and I ran my fingers over the yellowed page, scanning the steps I had written to make sure I missed nothing. There were no mistakes made; the spell didn’t work which meant I was blocked from using it. Now what?
There was a knock on the front door. “Ms. Stonewall?”
Silas’s voice boomed on the other side and I scrambled to stand, tucking the remnants of the spell under a towel. I walked out of the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
“One second!” I yelled out and dashed to the sock drawer of my dresser.
Pushing aside the top layer of bunched up socks, I pulled out the box of herbs I hid in the drawer and grabbed a piece of lotus root before tossing it under my tongue. On tiptoes, I walked back to the bathroom door and gripped the handle, pushing a gust of magic into the metal. The lotus root melted in my mouth in seconds and I swallowed its bitter taste. My fingertips tingled and a pale, yellow powder spread over the handle.
Better safe than sorry, I thought and wiggled the handle to make sure it remained locked.
The spell drained my body, but I bolted for the entrance, brushing out the knots in my hair with my fingers. When I opened the door, Silas stood before me, a cup of coffee in his hands. He pushed the cup my way and I jumped for it, breathing in the sweet aroma. I need this bad righ
t now!
“Everything okay?” I asked after taking a big gulp of coffee.
He nodded, his eyes blank behind his glasses. “Your caseworker is here to see you. She’s in the living room, follow me.”
With a nod, I followed him out, locking the door. I had gotten used to leaving my grimoire in the guest house but even with the hiding spell I placed over it, it still made me nervous as hell to leave it unattended. Granted, walking around with a giant, old book around the house was bound to make me look like a total weirdo so for now, it was staying put in my dresser drawer.
“Everything all right, Billie?” Silas asked.
“Um, yeah, I guess.”
He stopped to rearrange the glasses on his long nose and peered at me over them. “How do you like it here so far? With the Chandlers?”
“I love it, actually,” I answered, blushing. “They’re really nice. You too.”
“Well, thank you for the kind words. Imala and Thomas can be difficult to get to know but I am certain they cherish having you here. I wanted to make sure you knew that.”
I smiled and gave him an awkward thumbs up. “Thank you. And they’re not so bad.”
Silas chuckled and gestured for us to keep walking.
The cup shook in my hand as we rounded the main house and dipped inside through the backyard entrance. A high priestess was here? Why? I steadied my hold on the coffee from fear it would go flying all over the Mezzanine rug in the living room that must have cost more than I was worth. As I stepped into the airy space, two familiar black eyes burnt into me and I stopped in my tracks.
“Sebyl!” I exclaimed and tried to hide the nerves in my words. “What’s going on?”
Sebyl waved her gloved hand across Silas’s face and he turned on his heels, marching out of the room without so much as a goodbye to me. The high priestess grinned and I noticed the red of her lipstick was a few shades darker today. It was so dark it looked deep purple and matched her suit perfectly. Sebyl brushed a hair off her face as she often did despite it being not out of place at all. Her gaze shot to me and I jumped back.
