Conjured

by Chelsea Luna

  “Yes.”

  “He asked you to the dance?” I blurted out.

  Olivia’s smile froze on her face. “He didn’t know about the Winter Ball. I informed him about it and then we had a discussion.”

  Translation: Olivia asked James to the dance.

  She was carefully gauging my reaction, but there was no need. It didn’t bother me that James and Olivia were going to the dance together. I was a little shocked that he would go with her, but good for them. If they were happy, I was happy. “That’s fantastic!”

  Maybe I imagined it, but I thought I saw a gleam in Olivia’s eye when she looked away. Was it glee? Triumph?

  “The dance is going to be great.” I made myself a quick promise that I’d have a good time at the Winter Ball, regardless of everything that was going on.

  * * *

  Sixth period Art class was my favorite time of the school day. Mostly because I could zone out and work on my project without having to think about anything else. None of my friends had this class with me, so I didn’t feel the need to make conversation. I didn’t have to try so hard to be normal. I could just sit and paint.

  The bell rang. I packed up my belongings and headed to my locker. I stopped short when I saw who was waiting for me. He hadn’t been at my locker in months.

  “Hey James, how are you?”

  “Good, I caught you. I was hoping you’d stop by your locker before you went home.” He grinned, displaying a row of dazzling white teeth.

  “What’s up?”

  James moved to the side so I could put in my combination.

  “I haven’t had the chance to talk to you since we went to Boston. Did Grandpa Jonah’s journal help? Did it give you any leads on your dad’s body?”

  My head was inside the locker, so I had enough time to compose my face before James could see it. I’d been wrestling with this issue for days. James went out of his way to help me. Actually, he went above and beyond to help me. But I was wary about telling anyone about Ethan and Jonah’s agreement. Or that my father was alive and in the Ipswich Mental Hospital. I’d have to tell James soon. I’m sure he wanted to read his grandfather’s journal, too. But I wasn’t ready to reveal what I’d discovered.

  “Not yet. The journal is huge. I’m trying to read everything, line by line, so I don’t miss any details.”

  “It looked like a lot of reading,” James said, watching the crowds shuffle by. “If you do find anything, let me know. I can help you with whatever you need.”

  “Thanks, James.”

  His face flushed and he shifted his weight. “So, um, are you excited about Friday?”

  “Friday?”

  “The Winter Ball.”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s a big deal around here,” I said, wondering what was making James so nervous.

  “Yeah, but are you excited?”

  “Honestly?”

  “It’s the best policy,” James said.

  “Not really. I have so much going on that something as silly as a dance isn’t that important to me. What about you?”

  James cracked his knuckles. “I, uh…I’m going with Olivia.”

  “I heard. That’s great. She’s been looking forward to the Winter Ball since we started Hawthorne.”

  “We’re not dating.”

  “No?” I dropped my eyes.

  “No. She asked and, well, I figured everyone else already had a date. It would be something to do. You’re going, aren’t you? You skipped Olivia’s New Year’s Eve party.”

  “Peter and I will be there. And I’m sure we’ll all have a great time.”

  “Right. Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to stop by Mrs. Pratt’s office.”

  “Mrs. Pratt?”

  James grinned. “That brings up old memories. Did you do that to her? When she had a heart attack on my first day of school?”

  I closed my locker. My face grew warm. “I didn’t know what I was at the time,” I whispered. “I might have caused it on accident. She was so horrible to me and I was so upset. I don’t know for sure. I hope not.”

  The image resurfaced of mean old Mrs. Pratt threatening to call Victor after James and I were caught breaking into the Aquatics Building. I was so angry with the way she was treating me and, at the time, I didn’t know I was a witch. Or what my emotions could do when they went unchecked. Fresh guilt filled me.

  “Hey, hey,” James squeezed my shoulder. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. Of course you didn’t mean to hurt her. It probably wasn’t you. She isn’t the healthiest woman around.”

  “I’ll guess I’ll never know for sure. Why do you have to go to her office? Are you in trouble?”

  James rubbed his thumb and finger together. “Money. My tuition was paid late because of all the issues with my dad’s estate.”

  “I hope everything is okay.”

  “Victor is the Executor of my father’s will. And since I refuse to see him, it’s kind of slowed up the process. We’ve had to do all the estate transactions over e-mail.”

  “Wow. He’s still reaching out to you?”

  “He keeps e-mailing me that I should stay away from you.” James rolled his eyes. “Like I’d listen to my whacked-out uncle. He has someone following me and he expects me to trust him? He’s a psycho.” James checked his watch. “I have to run. See you in class tomorrow.”

  “Bye.” I hated that James had to deal with Victor. You’d think he’d take a hint and leave James alone.

  I grabbed my bag and fought my way through the mob of students. Everyone pushed and shoved to get out of school as quickly as possible. I don’t know how the halls were so crowded all the time. Hawthorne only had two hundred students. Since it was a private school, kids from nearby towns attended with Hazel Cove residents. But at the moment, I could have sworn that a million people were collectively leaving.

  A redhead bumped into my shoulder when I passed the girl’s restroom. The force of the blow spun me around one hundred and eighty degrees.

  “Jeez.” I rubbed my sore shoulder.

  The petite girl glanced back at me. “Sorry!”

  Her eyes were red.

  I darted after her. It was stupid, really. I should run away from monsters, not towards them, but I knew I was supposed to see those eyes. Someone was playing with me.

  The girl wiggled through the crowd. I didn’t recognize her, but that was no surprise. I hadn’t paid attention to much of anything over the last few months.

  I shoved and dipped through people, moving in the opposite direction of the flow of traffic. The little redhead was bobbing through the hallway about twenty feet in front of me.

  I was getting nasty looks and remarks as I pushed my way upstream like a trout braving the current.

  The redhead stopped. She was at her locker. I elbowed a sophomore out of my way and lunged the last few feet. I swung the small girl around to face me.

  Large eyes gaped up at me. Large blue eyes.

  I blinked.

  They were still blue. A clear pretty blue, almost the shade of Peter’s, and they no longer looked surprised, but scared.

  I unclenched my fingers from her uniform. “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

  Her mouth opened into a perfectly round ‘O’ but nothing came out.

  “I’m sorry. Really.” I turned on my heel and dove back into the mass of students, pretty positive that I was losing my mind.

  * * *

  I’d been jumpy since I scared the redhead at school this afternoon. I drove home, which was dangerous, because my mind was not on driving. Emma actually made dinner, so I pretended that nothing was bothering me. I ate the indigestible food with a smile and cleaned up the dinner mess. Then I packed my school bag and left for Peter’s.

  I knocked twice and let myself in. The door wasn’t locked, which annoyed me. I told Peter that we all had to be extra careful with our security. Who knew what was out there? Red-eyed spirits. Gamma. Victor. Liam.

  Anne Marie and
Logan were in the living room sprawled out on the carpet doing homework. Well, they were laughing and giggling with their books open. I don’t think any actual homework was getting done. A stupid reality show was on TV and Logan was playing his iPod on a speaker adapter. The room was noisy and bright. Just what I needed.

  “Hey guys,” I said.

  “Oh, hi Alex.” Anne Marie rolled into a sitting position. Her shoulder length dirty blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail. “I can’t wait for the dance on Friday. I may be the only freshman there. How cool is that?”

  Logan smiled at Anne Marie. I could tell why their relationship bothered Peter. Logan really liked her. It was plain on his face.

  “I’m looking forward to the Winter Ball, too,” I lied. “It’ll be nice to have everyone together. Hey, where’s your mom?”

  “She’s working the late shift. There’s left over casserole in the refrigerator if you want some.”

  “Thanks, but Emma cooked dinner.”

  Anne Marie’s face lit up. “Really? That’s great.”

  “Alex, we need to talk about transportation for Friday.” Logan moved his calculus book to the side. “We all met up in the parking lot after school today, but you weren’t there.”

  “What about it?”

  “Who’s riding with who.”

  “Oh.” I obviously hadn’t thought about the logistics of the night. Heck, I’d hardly thought about the dance itself.

  Logan pointed his thumb at Anne Marie. “Luke is picking up Sadie, so we’ll ride with him in the Tahoe. If that’s okay with you and Peter?”

  “Sure.”

  “Olivia rented a limousine. They have room for six, if you and Peter want to join her, James, Jillian and Keith,” Logan said.

  “I think we’ll drive ourselves.”

  “Told you,” Anne Marie said to Logan. She nudged him in the ribs. “There was no way they’d ride with Olivia.”

  “Alright, you guys have fun studying,” I said.

  I walked down the picture filled hallway to Peter’s room. The door was open, no doubt so he could keep an ear out for Logan and Anne Marie.

  Peter was re-taping the blade of his hockey stick. “Hey, will you hold this for me?”

  I closed the door and held the heavy stick. He went to his desk to get scissors.

  “The front door was unlocked,” I said.

  “Was it? Must have been Logan. I told mom and Anne Marie to keep it locked.”

  “You should tell Logan, too. The doors have to be locked. It’s not safe and I can’t do the Il Gaurdenarium spell here. It only works for the speller’s house.”

  Peter’s eyebrows went to his hair. “Bad mood?”

  I sighed and my shoulders slumped in the process. “Sorry. I had a bad day.”

  “What happened?”

  “I attacked a freshman.”

  Peter gave me a weird look. “Why?”

  “I thought I saw something. It was stupid. I swear I’m going crazy. Everyone is so amped up about this stupid dance and all I can think about is magic and Ethan and levitation and what in the hell happened to Grandma Claudia.” And Liam and the red-eyed spirit, but Peter didn’t know about any of that.

  “It seems to me like you need a night out at the Winter Ball.” He placed the newly taped stick into his hockey bag.

  “You’re probably right. I don’t have a dress, but Jillian said I could borrow one. If I show up in something I’ve already worn I think Olivia will go psycho on me. It’ll be like Carrie, but much worse. Sissy Spacek doesn’t have anything on a pissed off Olivia Humphrey.”

  Peter grinned at my horror movie reference. “Pig’s blood and everything?”

  “The whole nine yards.”

  “It’s a good thing I picked up my tuxedo today.”

  “You did? Wow. I am slacking. You already have your tux and you hate these things. I suck.”

  Peter’s large hands cradled my face. “You don’t suck. You’re just stressed out.” He lowered his lips to mine and kissed me.

  My hands trailed up his chest and around his neck, pulling him close. It felt good to be in Peter’s arms. I breathed in deeply. The delicious smell of his cologne made my head spin. Peter’s hands went around my waist.

  The door swung open.

  “So not fair,” Anne Marie said. Logan was standing behind her with a satisfied grin on his face.

  “How about knocking once in awhile?” Peter turned towards his smirking sister.

  Anne Marie folded her arms across her chest. “We came to see if you guys wanted anything. We’re going to get ice cream.”

  “Ice cream? It’s freezing outside!” Peter said.

  “So what? I want ice cream.”

  Logan shrugged behind Anne Marie.

  “Alex, do you want ice cream?” Anne Marie asked.

  “Uh, no thanks.” I hid my face. Caught red-handed in a make out session by the two people Peter was trying to stop from making out. Ironic, huh?

  Anne Marie turned to Peter. “How’s the studying coming? It looks like you were getting a ton of work done.”

  “Get out.”

  “Don’t you want ice cream? I know you love black cherry.”

  “Get out now.”

  Logan, more terrified by Peter’s tone than Anne Marie was, tugged at Anne Marie.

  “Be back in a bit,” Anne Marie said, allowing Logan to pull her down the hallway. She mumbled something again about it ‘not being fair.’

  Peter slammed the door after them.

  “What’s not fair?” I asked.

  Peter ran his hand through his light hair, making it stand up in every direction. “Mom said she can’t have Logan in her bedroom. Only in the living room.”

  “Really? Is that a new rule or something? Should we be out in the living room, too?” I couldn’t imagine Mrs. LaViollette banning me from Peter’s room. But if she didn’t want Logan in Anne Marie’s room, then I didn’t want to set a bad example.

  Peter looked at me like I was crazy. “Yeah, right.”

  “Did your mom say anything about us?”

  “Of course not. We talked about it the other night and my mom was convinced it was a good idea. She’s too young to have boys in her bedroom. She’s barely sixteen.”

  Now I understood. It was more Peter’s rule than Mrs. LaViollette’s. “Hmmm, I’ve been having sleepovers in here since I was a kid.”

  “You don’t count.”

  It was my turn to raise my eyebrows.

  Peter smiled sheepishly. “That’s not what I mean, you know that. It’s just that my mom knows you too well. She trusts us.”

  “Your mom’s known Logan Cooper since he was a baby, too.”

  “Maybe we should get some homework done. Set a good example for when they come back,” Peter said, trying to get out of the discussion.

  Peter grabbed his chemistry book and settled in on the couch. I reached inside my backpack and retrieved one of Grandma Claudia’s old journals. I sat on the carpet near Peter’s legs.

  “No homework?” Peter asked.

  I brought my calculus book and Edgar Allen Poe short stories, but I didn’t want to do schoolwork. Not when there were more important things going on. “A little, but I’ll get to it later. I want to check this out first.”

  “Is that a new one?”

  “Yeah, it’s one of Grandma Claudia’s older journals. When she was a Professor of Medieval History at Boston College. Hopefully, it has some good stuff in it.”

  I flipped through the yellowed pages. She’d written in her journal daily, using it as a diary, but she also recorded her supernatural experiences.

  Grandma Claudia wrote about tiny spells that she’d experimented with: an herbal mixture to fix a cold, turning roses to orchids, cleaning spells and a couple of dream spells. Nothing out of the ordinary - if you could wrap your head around the fact that magic was real. Most of her entries described her research. The journal did have one overlying theme - Grandma Claudia was fascinate
d with the history of witches, particularly the history of the Ross Family.

  She poured over hundreds of books. Not only were her studies centered on witches and family history, but also on other supernatural beings.

  According to the journal, Grandma Claudia had searched the world for answers to the paranormal. She visited Romania, Hungary, Ukraine and Albania to see if vampires existed (according to her journal, they do not). She found countless accounts of ghosts all over the world. She even went to Siberia because of reports of a loose werewolf (it was just a gigantic wolf terrorizing a fishing village).

  But mostly, her research centered on covens of witches around the world. Grandma Claudia wanted to know all about them. How many were there? What type of magic did they perform? Were they evil or good?

  Her journal was fascinating. She’d lived such an adventurous life. It saddened me that I didn’t get the chance to hear about any of it firsthand. I thumbed through the pages until I came to a drawing.

  The drawing took up both pages.

  Peter leaned over my shoulder. “What’s that?”

  “It’s the Ross family tree.” My finger scrolled over the page. “There is Grandma Claudia, Vanessa and Emma.” The journal was too old to have my name on the page.

  “That looks like a lot of effort.”

  I read the names above my grandmother’s, all the way to the top of the page. My ancestors. The entries went as far back as the thirteen hundreds. Peter was right. This family tree took years of research to create.

  “Anybody famous?”

  I leaned closer to the small print. “I don’t think so. Wait. I recognize this name.”

  “Who?”

  “Look. There’s Sarah Ross.”

  “You knew she was your ancestor.”

  “Yeah, but look.” I slid my finger over to Jamie Ross, Sarah’s younger brother, and then straight down to Grandma Claudia. “I’m a direct descendant of Jamie Ross. He was only one year old when Sarah was killed by Liam. He was just a baby.”

  Sarah’s part of the tree didn’t extend. She never had the chance to get married or have children. All because of Liam.

  My finger brushed her name and I noticed the dates beneath Sarah’s stumped tree line - October 31, 1606 - October 31, 1624.