by Cameo Renae
I turned and turned the pages until I saw it. The protection spell. I could feel the page, feel the words as if they were jumping out at me. The spell was simple. The words powerful.
I quickly dug for my pen and notebook in my bag. I quickly copied the words of the spell, and tore the page out. Shutting the book, I could still feel its power. Feel every spell in the book, luring the power inside me, begging to be set free.
This book—this old, powerful book—was now my responsibility, and I would have to keep it safe and hidden.
A loud knock at the door downstairs sent my heart racing. Wrapping the book back in the red cloth, I tucked it away between my mattresses, until I could find a proper, safe place for it.
Racing down the stairs, I peeked from behind the living room curtain.
It was Rylan. He’d come back.
He was wearing blue jeans and a tight shirt. The sky was icy gray, and the wind was whipping. I ran to the door and unlocked it, letting him in. As it opened, a cold rush of air whooshed in. Rylan stepped inside and quickly shut the door behind him.
We were toe to toe, so close I could feel his warmth wrap around me. I took in a deep breath, because his scent was wonderful, that mixture of pine and fresh wind.
Snapping myself from the fog that had just entered the room, I took a step back, but my heel caught on the mat. I fell backward, but before I hit the ground, Rylan caught me.
I inhaled, folded over his arm, his body above me like he’d dipped me in a dance. There was a buzz in the air between and all around us. His eyes, the gold in them was so—
He broke his stare and then stood straight, pulling me upright.
“Thank you,” I exhaled.
“You’d better watch your step, cupcake,” he murmured, a cocky grin on his face.
My mind was still buzzing from being in his arms. “I have to go somewhere,” I said, moving toward my jacket.
“Eris,” he called after me. I started to jog upstairs and get my warmer jacket, but as my foot hit the second stair, he called my name with greater urgency. “Eris!”
“What?” I said, taking the third and fourth step.
“Your father is missing.”
I froze, not reaching the fifth, but pivoted back to him. My worst fear was being confirmed. “What did you say?”
“I was next door when Barney came busting in. He told Garrick he hasn’t been able to get in touch with your dad. Apparently, they were checking on a lead in the forest, but when Barney called for him, he wasn’t there. He wasn’t anywhere.”
“What about his phone?”
“They tried, but he hasn’t answered.” His brow furrowed. “The service in this area is spotty. Sometimes it catches, but a lot of times, it doesn’t,” he added. “Both of your uncles just took off to look for him. They didn’t want to tell you because they didn’t want to frighten you. But I thought you should know.”
“Oh, God.” Tears slid down my face. My body trembled, my legs buckled, and I fell onto the stair. “It’s true, then. She has him.”
“Who?” Rylan asked, taking a few strides across the room to reach me.
“A witch. The one that spelled my brother. She has my dad and is going to spell him too. I need to find her. I need to stop her.” I looked up at him. “And I need your help.”
“What do you want me to do?” Rylan asked, his gaze softening. “I’m here for you.” He held out his hand. “Just tell me how I can help.”
I had to gather myself. This wasn’t a time to break down. This was a time to prove my worth. To justify my existence.
I took Rylan’s hand, and he pulled me to my feet. “I need you to take me to find her.”
“You know where she is?”
“No,” I sighed, hoping he didn’t think I was mad. “But I think she’s outside of the town’s wards. Once we get on the road, I might be able to find the way.” I really wasn’t sure, but I hoped. With everything inside me, I hoped I could find them.
“All right,” he said, nodding. “Go get your jacket, and meet me outside.”
“Thank you,” I said, then headed upstairs. I grabbed my warmest jacket, wishing I’d gone to the ski shop, and grabbed the paper I’d written the spell on, tucking it into my pocket.
Outside, Rylan was sitting on his motorcycle. As soon as I stepped out, he handed me the helmet, and I slipped it on and hopped on the back. I wrapped my arms around his waist as he started the bike.
The air was cold, and the sky was growing darker. I hugged him even tighter as the wind whipped around us.
“Relax,” I heard him yell. But I couldn’t. My body was tense, watching the trees whip by.
When we came to the main road, Country Road 13—aka Burdorf pass—he stopped.
“Which way?” he asked, the bike idling.
I closed my eyes. Please show me. Lead me to Dad. When I opened my eyes, I saw my glimmer shoot out from behind a tree. It zipped up to me and touched my cheek, giving me a warm kiss before it took off toward the left.
“Left,” I said, and he pulled out.
Rylan maneuvered the bike with ease, and as we left the town of Havenwood Falls, I kept my eye on my glimmer.
It led us farther and farther away from the town, and just when I wondered if we were outside of the wards, the glimmer stopped.
“Stop,” I hollered, and Rylan pressed his brake. I squeezed him tight as we skidded off to the side and he cut the engine. Sliding off the bike, I pulled the helmet from my head.
High up on the road were the headlights of someone coming into Havenwood Falls, so he pulled the bike off the side of the road, concealing it behind some trees.
“There is nothing here,” he said, looking around. Nothing except the looming dark forest. But my glimmer was still here, zipping in and out of the tree line.
“She’s here. The witch is glamoured, but I think I can find her.”
“How? How are you getting this information?” he asked. “Not that I don’t trust you.”
I gazed into his eyes. “My mom,” I answered. “She came to me in a dream, and told me what I needed to do.”
He nodded and gestured to the forest. “Okay, then. Lead the way.”
Chapter 11
I took a step into the trees, and the glimmer shot deeper.
“This way,” I said, quickly following after it.
Rylan was on my heels, and I was glad he was here with me. I never would have made it this far without his help, and wouldn’t have been as brave. Knowing he was a step away, I felt safe.
My feet stumbled a few times on matted roots, but I caught myself and kept going. Pressing on, I hoped I wasn’t too late.
Find the witch. Stop her, make her reverse the spell, and then cast the protection spell around my family. That was my task, and I repeated it like a mantra, over and over.
Continuing to follow the glimmer, we went deeper and deeper into the woods, where the trees were tightly knit together. The branches scratched at my exposed skin as I pushed through.
Then, the glimmer stopped. I froze and held my hand up to Rylan; he paused and nodded his head.
I could feel it. A dark power nearby, its evil tendrils seeping out from its master.
The witch was close.
I closed my eyes and called to the power within me. To a power, new and raw, passed down through generations . . . through the Witheridge bloodline.
I felt that power. Felt it stirring in my bones and in my blood. Felt it flowing through my veins, and I welcomed it.
Show me the witch behind her glamour, and give me what I need to overcome her, I begged that power.
This time, when I opened my eyes, the world around me was different. It was glowing and alive. But ahead of me was a wall of darkness shaped like a dome. I saw the magic, the glamour, like a dark wave, and knew behind it was the witch. I could feel her.
Fear tried to strangle me, so I turned to Rylan. As if he could feel my fear, he stepped to my side and grasped my hand. That simple act g
ave me what I needed . . . told me I wasn’t alone.
“Stay here,” I whispered.
“Where are you going?” He held my hand firmly, keeping me in place.
“There is a ward, a dark dome of magic concealing the witch, right beyond these trees.”
His eyes narrowed as if he were trying to see. “Where?”
“It’s a glamour. You won’t be able to see it.”
“And you can?”
I nodded. “Just stay here. I’ll be fine,” I lied.
“No way. You’re not going in there alone.” A fire blazed in his eyes, which had now turned completely golden. The look was one I wouldn’t argue with.
“Okay, but please be careful.”
His head tilted to the side. “You be careful.”
With his hand in mine, we stepped forward toward the dark wall.
Inside, I called to my power and felt it growing, tingling inside of me. I let go of Rylan’s hand, taking a tentative step forward. Lifting my arms, a wave of light exploded from my palms, slamming into the glamour. The glamour shattered, sparks of magic fell around us like glittering rain, revealing four figures behind it. One was a woman standing in a black cloak, her face concealed behind a large cowl, a black wand in her hand.
As she removed the hood, her evil gaze was frozen on me, her eyes black as night. The sight of it made my skin crawl.
Standing behind her were two men, and between them, bound to a tree, was—
“Dad!” I screamed, running forward.
The witch snapped her wand at me, and its power soared toward me like lightning, slamming into my chest. It threw me backwards, my body crashing against a tree. As I fell to the ground, pain radiated through my chest. I gasped, trying to catch my breath, but it wasn’t coming easily.
Behind me, a deep, terrifying growl cut through the night air. Then, a huge, brown wolf came bounding out of the woods, stopping at my side. He was beautiful. His golden eyes fixed on the witch with a predatory focus. Its lip curled back, revealing long, sharp teeth. But he was larger than any wolf I’d ever seen. On his four legs he was just as tall as I was.
“Rylan?” I breathed.
His head twisted back to me, and his golden eyes met mine. He whimpered, and I shook my head. “I’m fine,” I exhaled, pulling myself to my feet.
He stepped closer, angling his body in front of me, protecting me. I ran my hand across his side. His fur was soft, and my palm tingled as I stroked him. “Thank you,” I whispered. His head bowed before snapping back to the woman.
His body went rigid as the two men stepped forward with knives in their hands. Their heads were covered with black ski masks, only revealing their eyes.
The witch laughed. “What do we have here? A young witch and a wolf? Now that’s something you don’t see every day.”
“Release my dad,” I said as bravely as I could.
I tried to take a step closer to her, but the wolf wouldn’t let me move. He pushed me back with the side of his head.
“Who are you to give me orders . . . girl?”
“I am not a girl,” I roared.
The witch threw her head back in laughter. “Not a girl? Then what are you?”
I glared at her. “I am my mother’s daughter. A Witheridge witch,” I responded. I could feel the power writhing inside, growing, as if it agreed and responded to my words. “Release my dad,” I demanded.
I placed my hand on the wolf and gently stroked his fur. He must have felt my power, because he stepped to the side and let me pass. His eyes still fixed on the threat, his growl deep and guttural.
A sly grin rose on the witch’s lips. In a split second, she raised her wand again, but this time I was ready. I raised both hands, and as her power hurled toward me, it struck an invisible wall, instantly dissolving.
Her power didn’t touch me, and I barely felt it.
The aghast look on her face mimicked what I was feeling. I’d stopped her.
Courage and hope surged inside of me, unfurling through my limbs, while confusion and rage swirled in her eyes.
Raising her wand again, she struck. Her power flew toward us like a ball of flame. I lifted my hands in front of me, and an invisible shield devoured that flame.
She tried again and again, hurling her power at us, trying to hurt us, but my power absorbed every blow.
“How?” she screamed in frustration. Then, her eyes narrowed on us. “Get them,” she ordered, her long finger aimed at us.
The two men came charging forward, blades raised over their heads.
Rylan leapt in front of me, sinking his jaws into the first man’s waist. With a snap of his head, the man went flying, slamming hard against a tree. When he fell, his body was still. I couldn’t tell if he was unconscious . . . or dead.
The wolf then turned his attention to me, dipping his head, and without words, I knew what he meant. He was going after the second man, and he wanted me to go after my dad.
My dad was unconscious, blood dripping from a wound above his left eye. “Hold on, Dad. I’m coming.”
The witch turned her attention to him and raised her hands, conjuring a solid wall of wind to surrounded both her and my dad. She was going to cast her spell.
I called on my power, whatever I had left, and pushed it toward her shield. But it had weakened, and I couldn’t break through. No! There had to be a way to stop her.
A loud yelp made me turn to see the wolf on the ground, the hilt of a blade sticking out from his thigh. The man had escaped Rylan’s hold, and his attention was now turned to me.
He sprinted toward me with a look of malicious intent in his eyes. I dropped to my knees and held up my arms in front of me, anticipating the blow. But it never came.
Instead, I heard a growl and a snapping of teeth, followed by an injured scream. Opening my eyes, I witnessed the man’s left arm, trapped in the wolf’s jaws. He fought back, slamming his fist into the wolf’s eye. Then he jumped up, wrapping his legs around the wolf’s neck, and squeezed.
“Rylan!” I screamed in horror.
But the wolf was strong. He thrashed his head side to side, slamming the man’s head against a nearby tree. As soon as the man’s grip loosened, Rylan tossed him into the air, and before he hit the ground, the wolf caught his leg in his jaws, and dragged him into the darkness.
I tried again, to summon the power within, but felt nothing.
“You think you can match my power, young witch?”
I was spent. The power I had called earlier had completely drained.
“She might not be able to, but you cannot match my power,” a voice called from behind us.
From the darkness stepped a small figure, hunched over, with wiry white hair wound in a tight bun.
“Ms. Gingrich?” I blinked a few times, making sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. “How? Why are you here?”
Her eyes met mine. “Because, my darling, I have watched over you all these years, making sure you were safe, and I don’t intend to stop now.” She smiled, holding a white wand in her hand.
Was Ms. Gingrich a witch?
I watched the old woman step toward the evil witch with no fear.
The witch let out a deep cackling laugh and snapped her wand at the Grinch.
“No!” I screamed, but Ms. Gingrich didn’t flinch. She raised her wand, easily deflecting the witch’s strike as if it were a wisp of wind.
I watched in complete awe as the hunched old woman walked up to that wall of wind and held up her wand. In the blink of an eye, the wall disintegrated. With another flick of her wrist, the evil witch dropped to her knees, holding her neck as if she were being choked.
“You will release the spell from the boy and his father, or I will release the breath from your lungs . . . forever,” Ms. Gingrich commanded.
The witch gurgled, trying to gasp for air. When she finally nodded, Ms. Gingrich released her. She fell to the ground, coughing.
“Do it now!” Ms. Gingrich warned, her wand hovering above
the witch in warning.
Ms. Gingrich was even more powerful than I imagined. But a witch? How could I not know this?
I ran over to my dad and released his bonds. His limp body fell to the ground, still unconscious. I rolled him to his back and pressed my ear to his chest. His heartbeat was loud and strong. He was alive.
Rylan stumbled out of the woods, shirtless, wearing jeans that were a bit too baggy. I jumped up and ran over to him, blood seeping through the blue denim where he’d been stabbed. His left eye was red and swollen where the man had slammed him over and over.
“Are you okay?” I asked. It was nearly impossible to avoid admiring his perfectly sculpted chest and abs.
“Fine,” he replied, jerking a thumb in the direction he’d come. “But you should see the other guy.”
I wanted to laugh, but a thought shot through my head. “Is he dead?”
“No,” he replied, with a crooked grin. “But he doesn’t have any pants.”
Shaking my head, I giggled. He took a step, but his injured leg gave. I caught him, wrapping my arm around his waist to hold him up.
His eyes narrowed. “You caught me,” he said, throwing his arm around my shoulders. “I guess this means we’re even.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Who’s that?” he asked, his head tilting toward Ms. Gingrich.
“She’s our neighbor from New Mexico.” His eyes widened, and I shrugged. “Don’t ask, because I have no idea.”
I helped him over to Ms. Gingrich, who still had her wand hovering above the witch as she reversed her spell.
When the spell was finally undone, Ms. Gingrich looked at me and held out her hand.
“Come, Eris. The spell is broken. We have one more thing to do, together.”
“How did you know?” I asked, still completely confused at her appearance.
Ms. Gingrich smiled broadly, then began to twirl her wand above her head. Magical dust fell over her, peeling away what appeared to be a glamour. Then, right before our eyes, Ms. Gingrich was no longer there, and in her place stood a tall, slender woman, with long golden hair, braided behind her back. She was wearing a white cloak, but had the same white wand in her hand.