Her Stolen Magic

by Zandra Pope

  “I was thinking about tomorrow,” I confessed.

  “When the magic has faded? You’re wondering if I’ll still ask you to dance?”

  The way he put it was so sweet I melted three different ways. I sighed. The late hour, the margarita Ava had coaxed me to drink, the crushing weight of years of having an untold secret — staring into his eyes, I wanted to bring him into my world, tell him everything.

  “I have a secret,” I started.

  “I bet I can guess,” he whispered.

  I paused and then said, “No. Nope. I bet you can’t.” It was caustic and brittle.

  He felt me bristle and tensed.

  Before I could say another word, a loud bang reverberated through the barn. Ava materialized at my side, grabbing at the back of my dress. Her disheveled hair hung around her soot-streaked face. Her hot pink ball gown hung in tatters, singed black at the edges. Behind her, black smoke billowed from a hole in the barn wall.

  The barn! I could see the barn again. The room was losing the glamour. Which meant, I would, too.

  “Run,” Ava cried. Her voice hoarse from a night of shouting above blaring music. She made a move to pull at the back of my dress, but her hands passed right through it, as though I was a ghost. She teetered, off balance, and crashed into me.

  I fell backward. Jeremey released me, stunned. I tripped. Ava reached for me, but she was too drunk to catch me. I hit the floor, scraping my hands and knees.

  Ava looked from me to the black hole in the wall. Her mouth tried to form a word. When the word wouldn’t come, she screamed, “Run,” and took off, leaving me behind.

  A tidal wave of screaming came next, followed by a stampede of terror-stricken, drunken magics.

  A howl split the night air — werewolf! More howls responded. Not just one werewolf, a pack. Snarls mingled with screams.

  Unable to rise, the panicked crowd battered and stomped me. A strong hand pulled me to my feet and pushed me forward. Jeremy was gone. It was Chase who had pulled me up. He rushed me from the barn, his arm around me as people pushed and shoved past us.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  I nodded, bleeding from a cut on my arm. My dress of mist cast thick, swirling tendrils into the frantic evening. I had to get away while I was still Henrietta. I didn’t want anyone to know who I really was. If Jeremy found out, he’d never speak to me again.

  I pushed away from Chase and tried to fight my way through the crowd, away from the danger, but I couldn’t break away. There were too many people running in all directions, screaming, yelling, and crying. The noise was deafening.

  Where had Ava gone? Had she abandoned me for the second time today? Was she coming back to save me?

  I glanced over my shoulder as the crowd pouring from the barn thinned. In the moon’s light, werewolves, five of them, tore into party-goers.

  Tabby ran from the barn, her face streaked with blood.

  “Get out,” she yelled at me.

  I froze.

  She reached for me, our hands brushed. As my fingers curled around her hand, she jerked violently away.

  A werewolf flung her to the ground, hitting her head against a rock with a sickening thunk. With long, bloody teeth, it ripped her shoulder and then sunk its teeth into her throat.

  I sobbed, helpless to save my friend. A flash of movement came from my right. A black shadow smashed into the werewolf who was tearing at Tabby. Frenzied snarls and yelps sounded through the night.

  Tabby’s glassy eyes stared sightless into the night sky. Tears rolled down my face. At that moment, I didn’t care if a werewolf got me. In fact, I hoped it would. I wanted my pain to end — the pretending, the worrying, the anxiety, the hopelessness, the waiting.

  I wanted to go Tabby where had gone. It had to be a better place.

  A sudden yelp pulled my attention away from Tabby. I was shocked to see two wolves, one silver and one black, standing over the werewolf that had attacked Tabby, snarling.

  The werewolf was doubled over, whimpering, bleeding from a huge gash in its side. A gaping wound in its powerful leg revealed muscle, tendon, and bone.

  I looked away, horrified, back to the wolves. They stalked the werewolf, circling it, the fur on their backs standing straight up in a bristling line. One of them, the black wolf was familiar. I had seen him earlier that evening. It was the same wolf who had saved me from the werewolf after I had overheard Knavish and Von Koffle plotting.

  The werewolf looked past the wolves and stared at me, eyes narrowed with hatred.

  Why me? What had I ever done to it?

  Then the werewolf threw back his head and howled. His cry was answered by the four other werewolves. To my surprise, the werewolves retreated, leaving behind a senseless act of carnage.

  The wolves circled back toward me. The black wolf shifted first. Standing before me, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight, was Chase. He threw a dark glance at the silver wolf who was shifting to his human form.

  I gasped.

  The silver wolf became Valerian who sneered at me. “You’re welcome.”

  I sputtered, searching for words. Valerian stooped over Tabby and examined her wounds.

  “She’s gone,” he whispered.

  Chase crouched next to him. “I don’t think we can bring her back from this.”

  They moved on to another body. I could see shimmering violet hair and the moonlight glinted softly off the gold highlights. It was Amanda.

  Valerian drew a ragged breath. I always suspected he had true feelings for Amanda. I could tell he was really shaken by the sight of her bloodied body. “Counting Greta, there are three of us. That might be enough magic.” He pressed his fingers to her chest. “Her heartbeat hasn’t stopped.”

  The weight of his words hit me. If the three of us used our magic, we could save Amanda. I opened my mouth, but no words came.

  Chase closed his eyes. “Valerian, she’s gone. Let’s just let her go.”

  “Kneel,” Valerian snarled at me. “Get your magic ready.”

  I dropped to my knees, tears pouring down my face.

  Chase closed his eyes and shook his head. “Valerian, she’s gone.”

  “No she’s not,” Valerian shouted. “On the count of three we all say ‘Life.’”

  My body trembled.

  Valerian counted. “One — Two— ”

  I said ‘Life’ when Valerian did, hoping upon hope that my magic would work. I didn’t feel any bubbles. There was no spark.

  Strangely, on three, Chase’s eyes flicked up. He looked directly at me, but didn’t say a word. He should have said, life instead, his silence was deafening. His eyes spoke volumes. I realized he had been shadowing me not just as a man, but as a wolf shifter. By not saying the word with Valerian, he was telling me that he knew my secret. He knew I didn’t have any magic.

  My hands were on Amanda as her heart stopped beating and her soul left her body.

  Valerian swore. “Why didn’t you speak?” he yelled at Chase. Waves of anger rolled off him toward Chase.

  Chase held up his hands, once again casting a quick glance at me. “I thought we were counting to five.”

  Valerian swore again, swung, and clocked Chase in the face, splitting his cheek.

  Chase absorbed the punch and didn’t retaliate. “I deserved that.”

  My stomach twisted and lurched. Turning my back to Amanda’s body and the two fighting boys, I lost the contents of my stomach.

  Then I staggered back and collapsed on the ground covering my face with my hands.

  “I’m so sorry,” I sobbed.

  Valerian stooped next to me and placed his strong hand on my back. “It’s Chase’s fault, not yours. He’s the one who didn’t speak the word.” Even though Valerian was trying to be kind, every word from his mouth sounded like mockery and twisted my heart.

  “It’s mine,” I cried. “I don’t have —” before my secret could slip out, Chase shoved Valerian.

  “The werewolves killed
her. It’s not my fault or Greta’s fault or your fault. She’s dead because a werewolf attacked her. Stop the blame game, now.”

  Valerian hung his head. I had never seen him contrite before. No one got the better of him.

  “Let’s check the rest,” said Chase evenly.

  With a heavy sigh, Valerian stood. He and Chase moved from body to body. There were fourteen in all. They brought six back from the brink of death.

  As I watched them move with lupine grace from body to body I realized that the three of us were the only people still standing. Everyone else had gone. No one had stayed behind to help. No one except Valerian, the playboy jackass, Chase, the creepy stalker, and me.

  Valerian walked me back to my dorm the silence between us heavy with questions and distrust. A cloud passed over the full moon as we stopped at the door.

  “Thanks for walking me home,” I said, staring at the ground.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Sure. Hey, can I ask you a favor?”

  “I said thank you. I’m not sleeping with you,” I spat.

  He rolled his eyes. “Calm down. That offer expired.”

  “As if.”

  “Anyway,” he said. “Can you keep the shifter thing just between us?”

  I blinked. “No one else knows?”

  He shook his head. “It’s, you know, illegal. Like really illegal.”

  “I know.”

  “Don’t spill Chase’s secret either.”

  “Why did you do it?”

  “Become a shifter?”

  “Everyone knows you need to use dark magic to become a shifter, that’s why it’s illegal.” I felt like such a hypocrite.

  “Don’t believe everything they teach you here,” he said cryptically. “Besides, becoming a shifter wasn’t my choice.”

  Intrigued, I wanted to ask more questions, but he cut our conversation short. “I’ve got to go. Promise me you won’t tell anyone?”

  I nodded. “I’m good at keeping secrets.”

  He tilted his head and studied me for a moment. Then, hooking his finger under my chin, he brought my face up so that my eyes were forced to look into his. He stared at me with those hypnotic green eyes.

  I felt a little unsteady. Resist the power of his hotness, I told myself.

  “You have secrets, too, don’t you?” he whispered.

  His lips were so close to mine, I could almost taste his breath. An alarm went off in my head. This was Valerian, bed hopping, girl hopping, jerk son of my dad’s political nemeses.

  “Nope,” I managed to lie. “What you see is what you get.” I broke away from his hypnotic glance and took a step away from his intoxicating body.

  He crossed his arms. “I don’t think so,” he said. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, Greta Verity.”

  He gave a little bow and went on his way.

  20

  The dorm was silent.

  Why had I let the night override my resolve to get Ava and me home by midnight? If we had left at midnight, we would have been in bed when the werewolves attacked.

  Werewolf attacks had been rare before this year. How were they getting through the school’s defenses?

  Ave was asleep — or passed out — in her bed. I stole through our living room to Hannah and Tabby’s room. Knocking softly, no one answered.

  I peeked inside. Hannah wasn’t there. That she wasn’t back yet made me nervous. The last time I had seen her was hours ago, at the dance. I was tempted to wake Ava, but she wouldn’t be much help. She was drunk. I decided to let her sleep it off and hoped that Hannah came back soon.

  Creeping back to my bedroom, I changed out of a weird patchwork of jeans, dress, and shirt. Ava’s magic was so freaking powerful. I couldn’t believe she had maintained a partial illusion while passed out.

  Cursing my non-magical self, I brushed my teeth and went over to my bed. A roll of parchment rested on my pillow. My heart leapt into my throat.

  I unrolled the parchment to disappointment and confusion. An oily black ink blob marred the surface. I scowled.

  “What the heck?”

  The oily ink shimmered and shifted. Letters appeared in white script, like a disembodied finger was writing them.

  Greetings

  The enchanted parchment was unlike any magic I had ever seen.

  “Hello?”

  I know your secret

  My heart thundered. I glanced at Ava. She was sound asleep. She was the only person in the entire world who knew my secret. Not even our parents knew.

  “I don’t have any secrets,” I said, remembering my conversation with Valerian. Had he sent the parchment?

  Then came words that chilled me to the marrow of my bones.

  Void

  “I have magic,” I protested.

  Liar

  I said nothing, eyes locked on the parchment as my world crumbed.

  I will keep your secret

  I couldn’t confirm that I had a secret. What if the parchment was bluffing?

  IF

  You meet me tomorrow

  at the Slip

  Half-past midnight

  No way. This could be a trap leading to werewolves or vampires or any number of deadly things. “No.”

  The parchment rumbled. Was it laughing?

  Then I will reveal all

  I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “If you hurt me, you’ll hurt Ava, too.”

  Again, a dark rumble came from the parchment.

  The more the merrier

  Goosebumps prickled up my arms. “Why are you doing this? What have I ever done to you?”

  Ask not what you have done

  But what you can do

  “I can’t do anything.”

  If you do as I say

  You will find what you seek

  Your magic

  “What!”

  My heart leapt and yet, a sense of dread invaded me. Whoever was responsible for this parchment knew my deadly secret, but they also knew where my magic was. I was magical. I wasn’t a Void at all.

  I wanted to laugh and scream at the same time.

  “Where is my magic," I asked the parchment. “Talk to me.” I shook the parchment desperate for more information.

  The ink coalesced back into a blob.

  Ava moaned and stirred in her bed. “Turn off the light.”

  I turned off the light and stole into the common area with the parchment. I shook it again. My heart was pounding with fear and excitement. I’d finally be able to get my magic.

  “How do you know where my magic is?” I asked. The parchment grew warm and began to give off a soft glow. Hotter and hotter it grew. It crackled and blazed into a green flame — releasing a sickly sweet odor like artificial fruit.

  Gagging, I covered my nose with my t-shirt and turned on a fan.

  At that moment, Hannah stumbled in.

  I whipped around and our eyes met — both of us looking like frightened rabbits. She was shivering and soaking wet. Her singed clothing hung in tatters. There was no more of Ava’s masquerade illusion left on her.

  “Good night,” she croaked edging along the wall, her fingers twitching as she held her blue and gold pendant.

  “Hey,” I said. “I need to tell you about Tabby.”

  “I already know.” Hannah slid along the wall to her door never taking her eyes off of me. She backed into her room and closed the door. The lock clicked with a note of finality and fear.

  21

  At 6am I awoke to someone pounding on the bedroom door.

  “Ava Verity, you have been summoned,” boomed a deep male voice.

  Groggy from a night of werewolf attacks and people dying, I groped toward my phone to check the time. My head pounded, and the room swam.

  The door crashed open.

  Ava moaned and tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, she threw up on her bed. I closed my eyes and fought to keep my stomach from rebelling.

  Two men the size of mountai
ns came into the room, Mrs. Potts trailing them. “Be gentle with her. She’s a good girl.”

  “Ava Verity, you are hereby summoned by Headmaster Knavish to appear on charges before the Magic Tribunal,” boomed one mountain.

  He pulled her roughy by her arm out of bed. She dangled for a moment, vomit sliding off her like the rag doll of a sick child. Then she found her wobbly legs.

  The other mountain grabbed the wastebasket by Ava’s nightstand, dumped it onto the floor and followed his buddy out of the room.

  I trailed, not saying anything, wondering why they were arresting Ava and not me. I was the magical fraud, not her. I couldn’t help thinking of Greg Hill. They hauled him out just like this.

  Hannah stood in her doorway across the living room wearing her clothes from last night. Her hair hung limp and singed around her face, which was pale and streaked with soot. She hadn’t slept.

  “Do you know what’s going on?” I asked.

  She nodded and bit her lip, fighting back tears.

  “Can you tell me?”

  “Ava let in the werewolves.”

  My heart filled with dread. “No. Please, no. Did you see her do it?”

  Hannah nodded tearfully. “I’m sorry, Greta. I didn’t want to turn her in.”

  Had Ava been responsible for the first werewolf attack, too? She was the first one to arrive. She had to have been nearby. But it was Ava, my twin sister, my protector. Why would she let killers into the school? She would have known her own friends were at risk.

  I had been at risk, too. The werewolf would have gotten me next. Had Ava plotted my death because she was so sick of watching over me?

  The room spun, and I grabbed at the doorframe. I turned to Hannah, despair and grief written in our faces. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her close. She gave her body over to deep, wracking sobs. We both cried. For Ava. For Tabby. For the others.