Chapter 8
If I had magic, I could have used a locator spell to find Cress inside the warehouse nightclub. It would have been so easy—even for a first year witch like me.
Unfortunately, I had to use only my human skills to find her. Which meant a lot of walking around until I finally spotted her on the dance floor. She was dancing with another guy I didn’t know. I was pretty certain he didn’t attend our school. I would have remembered his wild hair.
I pushed through the crowd until I reached her, never letting her out of my sight. I stepped on a few more feet than I intended to.
Eventually I was close enough to grab her arm. I had to get close to her ear so she could hear me. “Are you going to be leaving soon?”
She shrugged.
“Can I have your car keys? I’ll wait in the car for you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve just had enough.”
She dug into the pockets of her jeans and produced some keys for me. She handed them over. “I’ll just say goodbye to everyone. See you in a few minutes.”
I nodded and accepted the keys. The last thing I wanted was to cut her fun night short. I would have been fine waiting in the car for a few hours until she was ready to leave.
There were no more signs of Liam until I stepped outside again. He was still there, leaning against the wall like he didn’t have a care in the world.
I said nothing as I passed by. He didn’t say a word either. I continued on down the alleyway and then noticed he had started following me.
It really bugged me that he couldn’t just leave me alone. But it was really dark out and I didn’t have any powers to protect myself so it was also kind of a relief too. It helped that he was silent the whole way.
Cress’s car seemed farther away than I remembered it to be. I climbed into the passenger side and locked the doors again.
Liam sat on the edge of a long-forgotten garden bed and took out his phone. He played on it rather than making any calls.
So he thought he needed to babysit me? He truly was infuriating. But I might have been mad but I wasn’t stupid. If he wanted to waste time watching me, I would let him. This time, anyway.
It was only half an hour before Cress appeared. Her cheeks were flushed and she wore a beaming smile on her face. She slid into the driver’s seat.
“I’m sorry to cut your night short,” I started, “I really don’t mind waiting if you want to party some more.”
She waved away my words. “Don’t be silly. I’ve had enough anyway. My shoes are killing me.”
“You are a great friend, Cress Murphy.”
“Remember that when I need a favor.” She started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot. “So how long was he sitting there?”
“He followed me out,” I replied.
“I hope you had the doors locked.”
“I did.”
Nothing more was spoken of Liam for the rest of the journey.
We both crashed as soon as we reached the dorm room. I was too tired to think of anything before nodding off to sleep. Cress and Claire were already snoring by that time too.
In the morning, I wanted to stay in bed all day. Sunday mornings were supposed to be for that, right? Maybe for those without curses hanging over their heads, anyway.
Cress was dressed and ready for breakfast by the time I awoke. I hadn’t heard her get up. Claire was still fast asleep in her bed.
She put her hands on her hips when I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
“I think we need to talk,” she said.
Those were never words anybody wanted to hear, especially after just waking up. My brain needed some time and coffee before it could fully process anything.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I fully expected her to say something about our living arrangements. Like perhaps I had overstayed my welcome and she didn’t want me bunking on the floor any longer.
She sat on the edge of her bed. “I saw you dancing with Liam last night.”
“Yeah, I didn’t know he’d be there. He asked me to dance and I felt bad saying no so I just went with it.”
“What’s going on between you two?”
I knew Cress didn’t like Liam but I dreaded where this conversation could be leading. “Nothing is going on. I haven’t seen much of him outside classes in weeks. I honestly didn’t know he’d be at the club.”
She sighed, long and slow. “He’s bad news, Eden. You know he has connections here. If he found out…”
“He’s not going to. I haven’t said anything to him and I’ve given him no reason to think I’m anyone except who I claim to be.” I hoped Claire was asleep but carefully worded my response anyway.
“I worry about you.”
“I can look after myself,” I replied. “I’m so grateful for you allowing me to stay here and for being such a great friend. I promise I would tell you if there was something between Liam and I.”
“Okay. But if he hurts you in any way, I am going to bite him.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
She stood. “Let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving. Hurry up and get dressed.”
There was no question in her statement. I was awake anyway now, I may as well have eaten. I hurried to dress and only had enough time to run a brush through my hair before Cress insisted we leave.
It might have seemed early, but there were plenty of other students up and about outside the dormitories. The dining hall was surprisingly crowded for the Sunday morning. My guess was the werewolf community were the majority of the students eating.
Cress explained who all the guys were that she danced with the previous night. They were all just friends, either from Shadow Academy or other nearby supernatural schools. She told cute stories about them but I couldn’t keep up with all their names.
She’d had fun, that was all that mattered.
“Are you going to be researching again today?” she asked.
The change in topic jolted me. “I should, yeah.”
“Or you could spend some time with your bestie. I’m thinking about going for a run.”
I groaned. “I can’t keep up with you.”
“I’ll go slow. You need some fresh air. You’ve been cooped up in that library for weeks now.”
She was right, but I still felt guilty if I didn’t dedicate every waking second to the cure for the curse. Maybe a break would do me good. Recharge my batteries or something. Plus, being outdoors in nature would help with my mental state.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
She clapped her hands and then downed the remainder of her eggs in just a few bites. I had to rush to finish mine so I didn’t have to leave them uneaten.
Twenty minutes later, we were on the edge of the forest and ready to start the run. I loved how everything smelled. The trees had their own aroma that was only enhanced by the dirt at their feet. The moss added another layer of scent that freshened the entire forest.
Cress took in a deep breath. “I feel like I could run a hundred miles today.”
“How? You were dancing for most of last night.” It had to be a werewolf thing. Surely no other ordinary person could feel so good after a late night.
“That was nothing.”
“Seriously?”
She smiled. “You should come out with me on a big night.”
I got the distinct feeling I would be asleep within an hour of sharing a big night with her.
“Let’s go,” she said.
I didn’t get a chance to respond before Cress took off with a sprint. I had to use all my energy to just keep up with her. My lungs gasped in air as I quickly ran out of steam.
Thankfully, she slowed her pace to run beside me. All those hours I spent sitting around the library had made me far less fit than I would like to confess. All the stamina I’d built up being on the track team in high school had disappeared on me.
It was so great being surrounded by nature again. I had missed going for walks in
amongst the ancient pine trees and stepping on leaves that had fallen to the ground in the fall.
We had the place to ourselves. I couldn’t see or hear any person in any direction. It was just us and nature at its finest. I needed the recharge that only nature could give. I didn’t realize how much until this morning.
I lost track of time as we continued our run. I knew I was holding Cress back but she didn’t seem to mind. We only exchanged minimal talk as we kept up the pace. I didn’t have enough steam for an in-depth conversation.
Twenty-five minutes into the run, we skidded to a stop in a clearing. I tried to work out what we were looking at and the best I could come up with was a ‘camp’.
Someone had strung a piece of tarpaulin over a low tree branch and made a firepit out of stones set in a circular pattern. There was a closed backpack propped against a tree and a pile of sticks nearby.
The most disturbing thing about the camp were the things hanging from all the surrounding trees. I cautiously approached one. They were pieces of bark that had been torn into small squares. On those squares were symbols.
I recognized them from witch folklore.
From the top of my head, I couldn’t remember what they were depicting but the symbols were typically used in rituals. Had there been some kind of ceremony here in the middle of nowhere?
It had just been a full moon but why have a gathering all the way out in the forest? And what was with the tent and backpack?
“Do you think we should look through the bag?” Cress asked.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Is this witch related?”
“Yes. Those symbols are from magic.”
She rubbed her arms. “This place gives me the creeps. What is it?”
“I wish I knew,” I replied.
I was getting the same weird feeling Cress was. Something wasn’t quite right about the camp. The symbols were tied to so many branches, there had to be hundreds of them. Why go to so much effort? Was someone living there?
I had so many questions and no answers were springing to mind. I took a photo of the camp and some of the symbols I didn’t recognize. I could look them up at least when I returned to the library.
“Let’s get out of here,” Cress said.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
She turned left and we put the camp behind us. I couldn’t help but notice Cress found a different way back to campus when we returned too—a way that ensured we would be giving the camp a wide berth.
When we returned, Cress went to the dining hall while I headed to the library. I wanted to do some research on the symbols and try to figure out what was going on in the forest.
I was only halfway there when my cellphone started ringing. Caller ID said it was Grandma. I hoped she had some good news for me.
“Hello?”
“Eden, I think I’ve found something.”
Chapter 9
Grandma sounded excited but I wasn’t going to get my hopes up too high yet.
“What did you find?” I prompted. I pulled into an alcove in the hallway for some privacy. There weren’t many people around but I could never be too careful.
“A witch who knows all about curses,” Grandma said. “She helps people who have problems like we do. It might be the break we’ve been looking for.”
“How did you find her?”
“Through a friend of a friend. She only works by referral and has agreed to speak with you. Eden, this could be it. This could be the answer to our prayers.”
I so badly wanted to believe her but I just wasn’t used to things being that easy. Growing up with a witch and warlock, I knew there was always balance in nature. If something was too good, then something bad would always balance it up.
“When can I speak with her?” I asked. If it was false hope, then it was best to get it over and done with before I could dream too big.
“You can go whenever you want. I’ll send you her details and you can make contact with her. She will be expecting your call.”
“Thank you, Grandma. I’ll call today.”
Her voice softened. “I’ll pray to the goddess with everything that I have. Eden, I’m so sorry you have to go through this.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault, it’s the coven that made the curse. They are the ones responsible, not you.”
She sighed and we said our goodbyes. A few seconds later, I got the details for the contact. I immediately rang and made an appointment with the witch.
Her name was Sadie and she would be expecting me after my classes tomorrow. She sounded nice enough on the phone. Perhaps she really was the break we needed.
That night, I did some research on the symbols I’d found out in the camp. I couldn’t find all the ones I’d seen but the big ones related to protection. From what I could gather, someone was trying to protect that part of the forest.
The protection could have been literal and the witch or warlock was trying to ensure nobody messed with the camp. Or it could have been more figurative and aimed at the inhabitant themselves. Either way, they didn’t want anything bad happening in that area.
Most importantly, the symbols didn’t lead me anywhere helpful. They didn’t betray who had left them or why they were out there. It was just more dead ends.
I left the library in defeat and crawled into bed, wishing I could just catch a lucky break somewhere. Hopefully my meeting with Sadie would be more helpful.
Knowing I had the appointment coming up, the next day of school passed really slowly. I kept thinking of things I wanted to ask Sadie. Like how many curses had she lifted, did it always work, what would I have to do to get rid of it?
Cress let me borrow her car without asking too many questions and I was on the road just five minutes after the last class of the day ended.
Sadie lived about an hour’s drive away. It was mostly freeway roads until I pulled off and headed into a mountain range. She obviously loved her privacy because the houses out there were few and far between.
I found her address and pulled into a long and curvy driveway. The road was barely big enough for a car and even then I had to weave through ancient trees before I reached the house.
Sadie was waiting for me, opening the door before I could knock. Either she was psychic too or she had some kind of surveillance system in place. She’d probably been tracking me since I pulled off the sealed road.
“You must be Eden,” she said warmly. “I’ve been expecting you.”
Her gray hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Add to that her neat black blouse and skirt and she looked quite severe. It was only her kind face that softened her appearance.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“Come in, we have a lot to discuss.”
I entered her house which had a more cabin feel to it than the typical home. Everything—the walls, flooring, furniture—were all made from natural wood and retained their original features. It felt very earthy inside, exactly what a witch would want.
“Take a seat,” Sadie said as she gestured to an armchair. I sat down and was enveloped in the plush green cushions. “Your grandmother is very worried about you. I have grandchildren of my own so I know how that can be.”
She smiled warmly and I felt myself start to relax. I’d been around witches and warlocks my entire life, there was no reason for me to be as anxious as I was.
I tried to make conversation before getting down to business. “How many grandchildren do you have?”
“Three. So far.”
“I’m sure they are lucky to have you.”
“I’m lucky to have them too.” She let that statement linger in the air for a few moments before continuing. “I must say, I was surprised when I received a call from the legendary Samara Oakford. It was like getting a call from the president. I was quite honored.”
“It’s certainly crazy to think about. I was very surprised when I found out about her.”
“I was l
ess happy to hear about the curse.”
Reality set in very quickly. We weren’t there to just chat and make small talk. “Do you think you can help lift it? I’m not going to survive much longer at Shadow Academy without any powers.”
“I can try. That’s all I can do. I’ve had good success in the past but every curse is different. When a witch places one on somebody, they must tailor it to be unique. Finding the exact combinations in order to reverse the curse is therefore quite tricky.”
“Thank you for trying,” I said. I was trying hard to keep my hopes up. If Sadie had lifted other curses in the past, surely I must have some chance.
“I retired from curses many years ago. I might be a bit rusty.” She played with the hem of her sleeve, tugging at a loose thread. “If anyone except Samara Oakford had asked me, I would probably have regretfully declined my assistance.”
“Most people don’t like my grandmother because of the trouble she caused.”
“Your grandmother was an inspiration to me.” Her eyes became watery as she stared off into the distance. “I was in love with a seer when I was younger. I knew dating between the factions was off limits but I couldn’t stop my feelings from developing. Marissa was the most wonderful person I had ever met.”
“What happened?”
“We kept our relationship a secret. We would pretend to be merely friends when we were out in public. Nobody really questioned two females spending a lot of time together back then.”
“Did anyone ever find out about you two?”
Her attention came back to me. “Thankfully, no. We decided that we would lie to everyone and hope nobody looked too closely at our relationship. We would tell everyone we were single. And then the Civil War began.”
I started to get a very bad feeling about where her story was going. “Did she fight with the other seers?”
“She did. Just as I was called to fight with the witches. It was a terrible war. Bloody and nasty. People I’d known my entire life were gone…just like that.” She clicked her fingers together. “But Marissa and I both survived to see the end of it. No, it wasn’t the war that made us part ways like many others.”
Magic Bound (Shadow Academy Book 2) Page 6