“So all the herbs, roots, and gnarly poems are optional?”
“It depends.” Lucy laughed and nodded. “Unless the spell is complicated, then there’s no way around it. Potions are a thing, but it’s not like you see on television.”
Thinking about the web I’d cast to trap the craglorn, I nodded. That was an exception to the rule. I’d had to anchor the spell to set the perimeters. This witch business wasn’t all it seemed. There were so many nuances it was hard to keep up.
“Sometimes, witches use incantations to better control the spell, or they use them to center themselves. It can help keep focus if they’re not good at instinctual magic.”
“So are there any grand master of witches?” I asked. “You said true masters need no physical aids, but then you mentioned complicated spells needing them. Is there someone like that? Like a Jedi master?”
“No, not that I know of. I don’t think there ever has been, to be honest. It’s certainly possible, but it would take more than a lifetime to learn all there is to know about witchcraft.”
“So it’s about the path, not the destination?”
“Exactly.”
“It’s so philosophical.”
Making a face, I flopped back onto my back and stared up at the branches of the hawthorn. I bet Carman had enough time to perfect her craft…unlike me. A thousand years compared to four months’ worth of fumbling in the dark. Whoopee.
“All I need right now is to find a way to stop Carman,” I said, voicing my concerns.
“Sure, but everythin’ else is important, too.”
“All that other stuff can come later. Preferably when I’m not dead.”
“It’s also about handlin’ the amount of power rushin’ through you,” she scolded. “I know that even with your lack of skill, you’re more powerful than me, but you need to slow down. You might think that it’s kids’ stuff, but you can’t dive headfirst into a battle with a witch like her. Your magic could overwhelm you, and before you know it…” She raised an eyebrow.
Before I knew it, I would be a lifeless husk.
“Yeah, I know…” I sat up and started picking leaves out of my hair.
“You’re arrogant,” she said with a pout.
“Hang on! I never said—”
“Bein’ a witch is a lifelong commitment. It’s who you are. You can’t just pick and choose. There are rules.”
“It’s who I’ve been for the last four months,” I shot back. “There’s twenty-seven years of normalcy in there, don’t forget.”
“Still not an excuse.”
“Then show me,” I said, gesturing at her. “Show me what a real witch looks like.”
“A real witch knows restraint…and to not bite when baited.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing she was right. I was being too hasty, and being a right pain in the rump, to boot. I was desperate to arm myself in the face of the prophecy and the little devil on my shoulder named Carman, and boy, was it showing.
“I know you’re not tellin’ me everythin’,” Lucy said, making me pause. “And that’s okay. I know I didn’t give you much reason to trust me, Skye, but I will. You’ll see.”
I nodded. “Then let’s slow down and start again. At the beginning. Show me the kids’ stuff. Play dough, paper scissors, and all.”
Lucy smiled and nodded. “Lesson one. Meditation.”
I groaned, and my head flopped forward. “Is it playtime yet?”
“Patience, grasshopper.”
Chapter 15
Lazing back in the floral armchair, I kicked my feet up onto the footstool and reached for another chocolate biscuit.
“You’ve eaten the whole packet,” Boone said, giving me the evil eye from across the room.
“So?” I raised an eyebrow. “You worried I’m going to get fat? Because I’m not. They say the first place you put on weight is your hips, ass, and boobs. I wouldn’t mind bigger boobs.”
“Who’s they?”
He glanced at my chest, and I looked at him pointedly. “People.”
“It’s unhealthy to eat so many at once.”
“See this?” I held up my hand. “Talk to it.”
Turning back to the spell book, I ignored his pouting—he was totally annoyed I’d eaten all the biscuits before he could get one—and read over the page I was learning. Studying was a much easier task now I knew some of the basics. Thanks to Lucy, her crash course had unlocked some new pathways for me to explore.
One thing was becoming clearer as more pieces of the puzzle slotted into place. I’d been lucky with the magic I’d used so far. Super lucky. I couldn’t rely on the hawthorns or the Crescent legacy to carry me through the fight to come. Besieged on all sides…
A knock at the door startled me out of my reverie, and I sat up straight, and Boone lifted his head. Who would be calling at this hour?
The knocking intensified, and I shook myself off and answered it. Flinging open the door with a scowl, my expression faded into shock as I saw who it was.
“Mairead?” My mouth fell open.
The Goth girl was standing on the welcome mat, looking disheveled and panicked, a large suitcase beside her. Her clothes were rumpled, and there was blood on her hand when she lifted it to try to smooth her tangled hair back into place. But it was the fear in her eyes that chilled me to the bone.
“Skye,” she blurted. “I’ve got to warn you…”
I frowned and ushered her inside, dragging her suitcase into the hall behind us.
“What happened to you?” I asked as I closed the door, making sure it was locked.
Boone appeared in the hall, alarmed at the sight of the Goth girl.
“Mairead,” he said. “You look white as a sheet.”
“What are you doing here?” I went on, rubbing my hands up and down her arms. “Why aren’t you in Dublin?”
“They thought I was you!” she exclaimed, holding up the talisman I’d made for her. “They thought I was you! Why would they think that?”
I glanced at Boone, and so did Mairead, stopping in her tracks. Something bad had happened, and it had everything to do with my being a Crescent.
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it to both of us,” I coaxed.
“They said you’re a witch,” she went on, starting to babble. “They wanted to drain my… I mean your power and take your blood.”
My frown deepened, and I ushered her into the lounge room. Making her sit on the couch, I draped the throw rug over her shoulders and sat beside her.
“Slow down, and take a deep breath,” I murmured. “Tell us what happened. Don’t rush, you’re safe here.”
She sucked in a huge lungful of air, then let it out, her gaze focusing on Boone, then back to me.
“I was walkin’ back to the dorm after goin’ out,” she began. “The city is busy, so I don’t worry about walkin’ at night. I was walkin’, and a van pulled up beside me. I didn’t even see it until it was there…”
I glanced at Boone. It might’ve been a glamour like the one Fae-Alex had used to hide his true face, or she may have genuinely not seen it.
“Two men jumped out…” She hesitated, then went on. “I don’t know what happened after that. The next thing I remember, I was tied to a chair in a dark room.”
Oh, God…
“The men were there… They said something about a ritual, and they took me blood…” She held up her hand where an angry-looking gash split across her palm. “It mustn’t have worked because they came back and were really angry. They…” She sniffed. “They argued about what to do with me. One wanted to kill me and throw me in the Liffey.”
I glanced at Boone.
“The river,” he said.
“The other one didn’t want the trouble, so they decided to cast a spell on me.”
“What did they do?” I asked gently when she stalled.
“They thought they’d wiped me memory, but it didn’t work. So I pretended…” She was on the verge of tears, her fist clutching around
the talisman for dear life. “I pretended, and they dumped me on the street outside the dorm.”
“Oh, Mairead…” I wrapped my arms around her, and she fell against my chest and started to sob. “Did they hurt you anywhere else?”
“N-no.”
It must’ve been the talisman that made them think she was me. We looked similar, and she was carrying an identical necklace that was imbued with Crescent magic. It got her into trouble, but when it counted, it had saved her from having her memory wiped clean. Who knew what their intent was? She could be a mindless shell right about now—or worse…floating facedown in a river.
“Boone?”
“Yeah?” He snapped to attention.
“Could you make Mairead a hot cup of tea? And there are chocolate biscuits in the top cupboard.”
He nodded—not giving me any lip about my secret stash of biscuits—and glanced at her once more before stomping into the kitchen.
“I won’t lie to you, Mairead,” I said once we were alone. “I’ve dropped you into the middle of a war without meaning to. There are people and things out there that want me dead, all because of what I am and what I can do. I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to be dragged into this. I wanted to protect you.”
“It’s true?” Her eyes sparkled with tears, and her skin was puffy.
“It’s true.”
“You can do magic? Actual magic?”
“Yep. Freaks me out, too.”
She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, pulling away from me. Opening her palm, she stared at the crystal.
“I made it to protect you,” I said. “See those gold flecks? That’s the color of my magic.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “I’m sorry I got you into trouble.”
“They wanted to hurt you, Skye. Whatever they wanted it sounded bad.”
I didn’t want to be reminded of the prophecy, but here it was in all its gory glory. It was time to sit up and start paying attention. The war the Crescents had been waiting a thousand years to come to blows was finally here, and the enemy had made the first move. I had to up my game and fast.
“Here,” I said, gesturing for Mairead’s injured hand. “Let me see.”
She held out her hand and rested it gingerly in mine. Closing my opposite hand over hers, I focused my magic. Feeling the warm golden glow in my stomach, I nudged it into the cut. Since we were away from the hawthorn, it was only a trickle, but it was enough that Boone reappeared.
“Skye…”
“Shh,” I said. “Let me do this.”
Imagining Mairead’s skin growing and joining, I finally felt the magic cease as the spell ran its course. Removing my hand from hers, I smiled when I saw the cut was completely healed. She needed a bar of soap, but that was trivial.
“Oh mo dhia,” she whispered, staring at her hand.
“Good as new,” I declared, rather pleased with myself. This magic thing was getting easier the more I practiced. Boone was right about the instinctual thing, but I’d had a hard time connecting the two things together until now. Magic and intent.
“Was Aileen like you, too?”
“Yes, she was.”
“That explains so much…” she mused.
“Do your parents know where you are?” I went on. “Do they know what happened?”
“Don’t tell them!” she exclaimed.
“They need to know you’re not at school,” I countered. “But the magic and the kidnapping thing…”
I didn’t like it, but we had to keep it a secret. The police couldn’t do anything against Carman and her agents, neither could Mairead’s mum or dad. Telling them and making a fuss would only expose all of us, and then we’d all be locked up in some government facility where we would be cut open and experimented on. That would be a real hoot. I wondered what the food was like…
“You cannae tell anyone about this, Mairead,” Boone said, kneeling before the girl. “Magic is dyin’, and Skye is the only one who can stop it. If somethin’ happens to her, then I don’t know what’ll happen to the rest of us. And that’s only the beginnin’ of it.”
“Way to alarm the girl,” I declared, but Mairead nodded.
“I know,” she said. “I figured since people don’t believe and all.”
“We have to figure out something,” I mused aloud.
“I can’t go back,” she exclaimed, grasping my arm. “I can’t go back there.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I said.
“Skye, I’m afraid.”
It was the most genuine I’d ever seen Mairead. Usually, she was aloof and did whatever she could to hide her emotions, but in the wake of her ordeal, her mask was gone. Underneath, she was just an eighteen-year-old girl with the same hopes, fears, and dreams as everyone else. I was all for individuality, but at our core, we all had the same feelings.
“Will they come here?” she asked fretfully.
“No. We’re protected here,” I replied. “The hawthorn trees shield us from the bad guys, I’ve got a magical dagger, and we have Boone.”
Mairead glanced at him and frowned. “Are you…”
“Nay,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m somethin’ else entirely.” He’d returned with the tea and biscuits and set them on the coffee table.
“Here,” I said, handing her the cup of tea. “Have this and a couple of chocolate bickies. It’ll warm you up, and a sugar hit never hurt anyone.”
Standing, I gestured for Boone to follow me into the kitchen so we could talk.
“What a mess,” I said.
“Aye, to be sure.” He glanced back at Mairead, clearly worried.
“It’s the prophecy,” I whispered. “It’s coming true. The spell will be broken. The blood of the golden one will crack the chains, and she will return.”
“It’s only true if they manage to take the right person,” he replied. “We thought they might try somethin’ like this.”
“Yeah, but not against Mairead!” I seethed and began grinding my teeth.
“Calm down,” Boone murmured. “She’s all right, Skye. While she’s with us, they won’t be able to touch her again. The hawthorns will protect her.”
“They shouldn’t have touched her in the first place. Did you see how scared she is?” I jabbed a finger toward the lounge room. “All because I gave her that talisman.”
“You couldn’t have known. You were tryin’ to help.”
“I feel like I shouldn’t have.” I rubbed my eyes, the weight on my shoulders feeling heavier than ever.
Boone wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. His touch was reassuring, but I couldn’t shake Mairead’s expression.
I shook my head. “It’s happening. I didn’t think it would be so soon…”
“It’ll be all right.”
“Carman is already trying to sink her claws into me,” I went on. “She knows I’m here, and she knows I’m the last. She has to if she was brazen enough to snatch Mairead off the street.”
“There’s no way she could know how powerful you are,” Boone said. “You need to mask your magic until the right moment.”
I nodded, glancing back to where Mairead was sipping her tea.
“When you unleashed on that craglorn,” Boone whispered into my ear. “It was incredible. You were brighter than Aileen. I know it’s a big ask, fightin’ for us, especially after what Lucy told you about the witches, but I believe in you. And now so does Mairead. Did you see the look in her eyes when you healed her hand? That girl idolizes you.”
I snorted. “It’s hard to take the high road when I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Neither of us chose our paths, Skye, but we’re on them all the same.”
Boone was always right. I didn’t know why I fought against him anymore. It was just my own insecurities talking, and the fear of the unknown. I suppose that was how I knew I was human.
I untangled myself from Boone’s arms and straightened my jumper. “Right. I better get Mairead set up in the sp
are room.”
He let me go, but I felt his eyes on my back. I could wield my sword of sass all I wanted, but when it came down to the crunch, my one-liners wouldn’t save me. It was time to grow up. Hashtag adulting.
Taking the empty cup of tea from Mairead, I smiled. “It’s late, and you look exhausted. I have a spare bed upstairs if you want to stay.”
She nodded.
“Then tomorrow, we’ll figure out what to tell your parents.”
“I won’t tell,” she exclaimed. “I won’t tell anyone what happened. I promise.”
“I know. I trust you.”
She smiled, the color returning to her cheeks.
Standing, I coaxed her to follow. “Let’s get you to bed.”
As I tucked Mairead in—which was a strange sensation considering our relationship—I felt a pang of rage twisting my gut.
I’d expected Carman to go after me, what with her craglorns and trickster fae, but now she’d messed with an innocent girl. There was no way I was letting that scrag get away with it.
If I doubted my abilities before today, then I didn’t anymore. I couldn’t waver. I had to believe one hundred percent. It was as simple as that.
One way or another, Carman was going to pay.
Chapter 16
The next morning, I took Mairead home to her parents.
I’d seen Beth and Gregory around the village from time to time, but I’d never developed a close friendship with the pair like I had with their daughter. So it came as no surprise that Mairead had run to me before she went to them.
Sitting on their couch, I nursed a cup of tea while Gregory sat in an armchair rolling his eyes while we heard the docile tones of Beth screaming her displeasure to her daughter.
There was something about dropping out of Trinity, then her fashion choices, and squandering her one chance at a decent future. I rolled my eyes, knowing plenty of people didn’t know what they wanted to do at eighteen, and university wasn’t a onetime deal. Mairead could always go back.
As for her fashion choices, there were worse hues out there than black. Like poo brown. And beige. Beige was pretty woeful.
“Mum!” Mairead wailed, following Beth back into the sitting room.
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