Broken Spell

by Fabio Bueno

  Liam proceeds to search my pockets. He also takes his time feeling me up. The bastard.

  “Where’s her phone?” he asks.

  “I got it,” Miranda says from a distance. Then I hear a splashing sound. “I mean, the lake’s got it now.”

  He cups his hands over my breasts. I almost give in and punch him.

  Liam leaves me and walks away. “A waste of time. We should be worried about Jane,” he says to Miranda.

  Her voice comes from somewhere close to the van. “I know. Trust me, I’d love to get my hands on Jane. Don’t worry, she will come to us. Are you done, sugar? We need to go.”

  My two captors enter the van and leave in a flash. It’s almost as if they weren’t here.

  I open my eyes but don’t move. The energy source is closing fast. It seems I’m in a park. The faint moonlight lets me see the bushes around me. Soft waves are hitting a beach not far away.

  Getting to my knees, I try to regain my balance. I look in the direction the energy is coming from, but I can’t see her. The low growl of an engine approaching freezes my blood.

  Jane has never collected her motorcycle from the impound lot, as far as I know. But she’s the only biker Sister I can think of right now.

  My muscles ache from the beating and the hours in awkward positions. I’m in no condition to flee. I hope she won’t see me, but I know she’s coming for me. I need to hide.

  I crawl to a line of bushes nearby. The pain in my face makes me dizzy. I try to steady myself, grasping on a branch, only it’s too thin to hold my weight, and I almost tumble over.

  But I keep going. I can’t let her find me.

  Stumbling through the vegetation, I reach a clearing. She’s close enough to sense me now.

  It’s over. I stop and turn. My potions are gone; Miranda took them all. My only defense is the Dispel. If it’s still active.

  The engine stops rumbling nearby. She must be near where the van was. I can hear footsteps on the gravel.

  “Skye?” she calls. “It’s okay.”

  I’ve defeated her before. I can fake that I’m even weaker than I really am, and, when she’s close, I’ll strike her and make a run for it. It’s my only hope: my cell is gone and no one is going to hear me scream. But it’s not going to be enough. Jane is stronger and way more athletic than I am, even if I weren’t beaten up. She’ll catch me.

  Now twigs crunch under her boots. She’s close. She appears from behind a tree, most of her face hidden by a hoodie. She stays in the shadow.

  “You’re alive, thank Goddess,” she says.

  Who does she think she’s kidding? Despite my exhaustion, I get up. I make fists and wait for her to get close.

  “Did you see a boy in the house?”

  “What?” My mind is still addled. “You mean, Liam?”

  “No. Younger. Fifteen. Did you?”

  “No!” Why am I humoring her? She’s trying to distract me.

  “Did you hear anything about him? Or the name Jason?”

  “Why?”

  “Just tell me! Is he still alive?” she asks in an anxious voice.

  “Yes. They plan to kill him. I don’t know where or who he is.”

  My answer makes her go quiet. Her hands shake, but she closes them in fists, and the trembling stops. She takes a step toward me. “You look like hell,” she says.

  I can’t help but answer her. “Satisfied?”

  “Not really. It’s not fun. I should know. Remember these?” She removes the hoodie.

  I let out a gasp.

  She points to a series of small scars on her cheek. “This is where you broke the glass vial and cut me.” Her hand goes to the other side. “And this is what the fire did to the rest of my face.”

  That side of her face has a depressed lesion. It looks like part of her flesh melted and vanished. The remaining skin is thin, stretched.

  A twinge of guilt and a speck of sympathy almost make me forget who she is. That she’s here for revenge.

  “You tried to kill me. And Mona,” I say.

  “I was left to die in the gym. You saved Brianna, but not me.”

  “You were gone!”

  She snorts. “Yeah, yeah. Always an excuse. You’re so worked up I broke into your house, but you did the same to mine.” She points to the cut scars again.

  “You’ve been following me. Here, and at Aurora Park!”

  “No, just here. And I wasn’t after you, just keeping an eye on Miranda.”

  I don’t know what to say. I just wait for her next move, but she’s doing the same. We’re at a standoff.

  She narrows her eyes and asks, “How did you know I was here? You started to run before you could sense me.”

  “The bike—”

  “Bullshit. I saw you. You looked right at me. What is it? You have a long-range sense? Is that it? That’s how you tricked me the other times, isn’t it?”

  I’m not that strong. In my mind, I have a vision of Jane killing me and stealing my True Sight, then killing Mona and getting all her power. My body trembles. I wish I were tougher.

  “You do! That’s why they chose you to find the Singularity.” She scrutinizes me with even more intensity. “That’s perfect, actually. I need your help.”

  I may have brain damage from the kicks. “What?”

  “We’re both…scarred. Let’s call it even. Look,” she says while getting something from her back pocket. Her knife.

  “Jane…”

  “No, it’s okay. See?” She throws it away. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  My nerves are frazzled. “Are you insane? Am I supposed to be grateful because you won’t kill me?”

  She’s taken aback. “Neither you nor Mona.”

  “Wow, thank you for letting me live. What’s this sick game you and Miranda are playing? Do you expect me to believe she didn’t know about Mona?”

  “She didn’t. Why would she get you—”

  “Yeah, how come you’re here just in time to ‘help me’, huh?” I’m out of it, shouting, crying. The blood and tears make my vision blur.

  “Goddess, calm down. I was following them. I’m trying to—”

  But I don’t listen. I try to go after her. “Go away. Just go! Leave me alone. Get out of my life.”

  Jane swats my weak slaps away easily, more stunned than afraid. “Okay, okay.” She pushes me away. “Get a grip.”

  I take two steps back, panting.

  She walks to her left, picks up her knife, and puts it back in her pocket. Then she gets a small cell from another pocket. “Here,” she says. “We’ll need to talk, sooner or later. This is a prepaid phone, so the Night covens can’t trace it. You can use it to call for help too.” She throws it at my feet. It lands with a soft thud on the dirt.

  After she leaves, her motorcycle’s roar just a faint purr in the distance, I fall to my knees, shaking. I hate myself for some reason. My nails dig deep into my arms, but I don’t feel anything.

  I could take Miranda’s beating; I could take Jane’s return from the dead. But not both on the same night. I’m crying angrily—at them, at me. At their cruelty, at my weakness.

  I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Worse, I don’t understand what’s going on.

  The tears ebb. The blood on my face is drying. I look at my fingernails and see pieces of skin stuck under them.

  Pull yourself together, Skye. You’re better than that. Show them.

  Chapter 32: Drake

  Every time Skye and Mona lock themselves up in my sister’s bedroom, an uneasy sensation comes over me. I fear that Mona might share, accidentally or not, some obscure and embarrassing anecdote about my childhood. Or that Skye would let slip any detail of our relationship, which Mona would bring up just to see me squirm.

  Mostly, I have the lingering feeling that Mona might blow up our house if she loses control of her magic.

  But right now, Mona is alone in her room. She may be talking on the phone with Pain, or reading, or putting on her
goth makeup. Or she could be doing spells and putting our lives in danger.

  I don’t want to think about it. That’s why I’m playing Xbox and trying to focus on the game. The new TV is not as big as the one that broke during the earthquake, but the sound is amazing.

  The doorbell is still louder than the game, though. I pause my game with reluctance, leaving my virtual squad hanging, and walk to the door.

  Yara is there, a lopsided grin on her face.

  “Hey,” I say. My face must betray my puzzlement.

  “Hey, Drake,” she says.

  A pause. “How are you?”

  “I’m good.”

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah, I have good news. May I?” She points to my living room.

  “I guess. I mean, sure.” I open the door all the way and let her in.

  “Thanks,” she says, scurrying into the house. She sits on the sofa before I have the chance to offer.

  I close the door behind her and follow her to the living room. “What’s up?” I ask, getting the lounger for myself.

  Her smile fades. “Direct, aren’t you?”

  “Oh, sorry. Do you want something to drink?”

  She chuckles. “I’m just messing with you. And yes, can I have a diet soda? I’m thirsty.”

  We go to the kitchen, and I hand her a soda. “So…”

  She takes a sip. “I heard the guys talking about how you used to take pre-calc at Greenwood.”

  “Yeah. But they don’t have it at Fremont.”

  She plays with the magnets on the fridge. “I know. They don’t have chem either, but I got a special waiver to attend Ballard’s classes. They have pre-calc and a bunch of accelerated learning classes. That’s what I wanted to tell you. You could apply too.”

  That’s interesting. I miss those classes, and they could help me if I eventually decide to go to college. “Do you think the district would approve? We’re in the middle of senior year.”

  “Well, the earthquake messed up everything. They should consider the circumstances, right?”

  That could work. “You’re right, Yara. I didn’t know about it. Thanks.”

  Her face lights up. “No problem, gatinho.” She steps toward me.

  Instead of asking what the word means, I say, “But you didn’t need to come all the way here. You could’ve just told me at school.”

  “It’s no trouble, Drake. Besides, when do we have the time to be by ourselves at school? I mean, just the two of us.”

  Uh-oh. I’m getting a vibe. Is Yara flirting? I’ve been wrong about this before. Like, a million times. A million embarrassing times. At the last party, I thought Priscilla was coming on to me, but she wasn’t at all. I’m probably imagining things again.

  “Right,” I say. “It’s cool to hang out outside school.”

  She nods. Then her back straightens. Her smile is gone, and she’s looking at the ceiling. “Is Skye here?” she asks.

  “What? No.”

  “You sure?”

  What is that? “I would know, wouldn’t I?” Maybe she is flirting with me.

  “Is Greta?”

  “What? No. Why would she?”

  Yara pierces me with her eyes. “Who’s upstairs?”

  “Just my sister.”

  “Is your sister…a Sister?”

  It takes me a while to process her question. When I do, my whole body tenses. Crap. I have no idea what to do.

  Yara looks at me with a confused expression. “Skye told us you’re a Knowing. I thought you became one because of Skye. I’ve never imagined your sister was one too.”

  I jump to my feet. What do I do? Skye would know. I cup my hands in front of my mouth and shout, “Mona, stop what you’re doing! Now!”

  Yara is startled. She rises and looks up again. “It’s gone. How did she do that?”

  Then, just to make it worse, Mona yells while coming back down, “Hey, dummy. I was busy—” She halts when she sees Yara. “Hi.” Mona looks at me with an inquisitive look.

  “Hey, Mona. This is Yara. Mona, please go back up and read a book or something. Don’t do anything else.”

  She scoffs. “What are the odds I’ll do what you tell me to do?”

  “Please?” I plead.

  Mona glances at Yara, and something must have clicked in her brain, because she says, “You got it.” Mona jogs back upstairs.

  “Wait,” Yara says, but my sister goes to her bedroom and slams the door. “What just happened?” Yara asks me. “I felt nothing, then one source, then the energy was gone.”

  I try to salvage the situation, but my attempt is lame. “Skye may have been visiting. She goes in and out through the window. She likes to climb. Rock-climbing.”

  Yara tilts her head. “If this were true, I’d have felt the energy increasing and decreasing. It doesn’t just vanish.”

  I think fast. “Yara, please hear me out. Sit down.”

  “Drake, I know Sisters don’t work that way.”

  “Yeah. Mona is not a Sister. It’s a secret. But you can’t tell anyone. Promise?”

  She tilts her head.

  Yara is damn smart. I need to fake being smarter. “The truth is…Skye gave Mona a magical amulet.” All this time I thought I wasn’t a gambler.

  “A what?”

  “A magical thingie.” I make a vague shape with my hands. “I’m not sure what it is. It’s Mona’s. She doesn’t let me near it. It’s advanced stuff, apparently. You can deposit your…personal magic? Is that what you call it? You transfer it into a vessel, and it’s stored there.” I make it up as I go. The problem is, I don’t know how to stop it. “When you need it, you can transfer it back to the Sister.”

  Yara looks past me, in deep thought. “That’s not real. That’s the stuff of fantasy.” Her smile is gone for good now, and it’s not sending a postcard.

  “No, it’s real. Skye told me it’s possible. Advanced Craft, remember? That’s…that’s why she gave it to Mona. So Mona could hold it for Skye. Skye said she’d in trouble with her coven if she were caught with it.” I lower my voice. “Skye might have stolen it. Maybe she brought it from England.”

  It’s a huge bluff. It turns out it’s so convoluted that Yara is in doubt. “Really?” She looks at me, but I keep my poker face. “I thought amulets only stored a tiny bit of magic, tied with a spell. And that they didn’t emanate energy. Are you sure?”

  I open my arms. “That’s what Skye told me.”

  “And the energy?”

  “I think that when Mona activates it somehow, it releases the energy. Just a little? I wouldn’t know.”

  “That’s why you shouted at her to stop it. She could have let it all out.”

  “Exactly!” She’s buying it.

  “So is Mona a Knowing too?”

  Oh. “That makes sense. I mean, she is.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Just turned fifteen.”

  Yara raises her eyebrows. “You keep an eye on her, then. She might end up being a Sister, after all.”

  “I doubt that. But I’ll pay attention,” I say, trying to relax my voice. “So can you keep the secret? Please?”

  “I don’t know. I want to know more about it. May I see the amulet?”

  “No! That’s not right. It’s not mine. Come on, Yara. I leveled with you. Please don’t tell anyone. Not even Greta.”

  “I’m not sure about that. I tell Greta almost everything. This is a big favor.”

  “I know. I’m asking as your friend.”

  Yara stands up slowly and looks at me. She has a different glint in her eyes. “Maybe you could do me a favor back?” Her voice is low.

  “Sure. Anything.”

  She approaches me. It just takes me a second to realize what she intends to do. Her lips get close to mine, her minty, hot breath inviting in a strange way. She closes her eyes. We stop, frozen. A million thoughts cross my mind in that instant, but when she presses her lips to mine, I don’t push her away. It’s a chaste
kiss. Nevertheless, it makes me warm inside. And guilty as hell.

  She pulls back in a slow movement, opens her eyes, and smiles at me. “Now we both have a secret. I’ll keep yours if you keep mine.”

  “Yara, you know I can’t do that.”

  “It’s just a kiss, silly. Don’t worry. Both secrets are safe.”

  She caresses my cheek before walking to the door.

  “Not even Greta, okay?”

  “I told you. I tell her almost everything. Almost.”

  Chapter 33: Skye

  Priscilla is shooting me a horrified look. I can’t blame her. My disfigured face belongs to someone who needs to go to the emergency room right away.

  She drives me in her Prius. I called her out of the blue, asking her to pick me up at the edge of the park. When Priscilla saw me, she was appalled. She wanted to call 911 and asked me a barrage of questions, but I told her I needed time. I was adamant about not going to a hospital or involving the cops.

  Protecting the Veil means I don’t get much medical attention or police help.

  I couldn’t call Yara or Greta. They would be curious about me, the Singularity, and the Night covens. It would be just a matter of time before they realized that, if the Night covens have questions about Brianna, our covens should look into that too.

  That’s not the main reason, though. I’m not sure I trust them. They drugged me without my knowledge. It’s a shame, because Yara probably knows how to brew a mean Healing potion.

  They are my Sisters, but I feel more connected to Pri.

  I can’t show up like this at Gemma’s house. She’d immediately call Mum—or worse, Connor. The last thing I need is Connor getting even more suspicious. He’s already pushing me to meet that Mother with Truth Charm, and I have no idea how to get out of it.

  Priscilla steals some glances my way. Knowing her, I’m sure she will press me for answers soon.

  I flip down the passenger’s mirror. Oh, Goddess. My real face has disappeared. I’m looking at a grotesque mask made of dirt, blood, and dead skin. My old arm and temple scars from the battles with Jane were finally gone, but now this: my face is swollen, covered in bruises, and my nose may be broken. Great.

  Please, let the Allure work its magic. No way can I be seen in public like this. I need to accelerate my healing.