by Freya Black
I turned to Sloane and gave him a look, which translated to, I need your help.
Electricity pulsed through my fingertips. The immediate rush of his energy calmed my nerves.
Dr. Grace Callahan, the town’s only physician and member of our Inner Circle, sat behind the laboratory table at the front of the room. She was dressed in a white lab coat. Her short black hair and catlike eyes stuck out from behind the cast-iron cauldron. Like Kate, Dr. Callahan was not born with a divine power. As a healer, she’d combine both Natural Magic incantations and Western medicine to help the residents of Arcadia.
“Fiona, are you okay?” Dr. Callahan reached into a black satchel. She extracted a stethoscope and held it up. “I can give you a quick exam. It would only take a few minutes.”
“I’m okay. It was just a really bad vision.”
She smiled and dropped the instrument into her bag. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
After a few minutes of silence, Kate sat next to me and rubbed my back. You could hear a pin drop or the sound of someone breathing, but Kate’s voice cut through the silence, sounding like a whisper. “Are you okay to continue, or do you want me to take you home?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m just a little shaken up.”
She traced a circle on my back, the same way my mother had done, to calm my nerves. But once I’d had a taste of Sloane’s power, nothing else could ease my anxiety.
“Okay. If you need to leave, let me know,” she said.
I nodded, but the conversation wasn’t over—at least, not for me. “You said you would tell me what I needed to know. You said Grandma had predicted this. What did you mean?”
Kate sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “My mother wasn’t the first one to predict this. Queen Moira had seen it over a thousand years ago. She’s been waiting for you for a very long time. That’s why extreme measures were taken to protect our bloodline.”
“What does the prophecy say?”
“That the last mortal Crescent Witch would call forth the divine powers of Air from the East, Water from the West, and Fire from the South, using the moon’s power to balance the magic among the realms in the North.”
I stared at Kate, expressionless, unable to process words that had sounded like gibberish. We sat in silence as I took it all in.
Then, I laughed. “Seriously? A thousand-year-old prophecy is about me?”
“Fiona, this is not funny. Queen Moira and her people are descendants of the Gods and Goddesses. The Queen gave your great-great-great-grandmother, Katherine Cleary, her powers for this exact purpose. You can’t escape fate. Katherine knew what she was signing up for, and so did every member of our family. The Luna Crescent Coven was established by the Founders, knowing this day would come.”
I looked at Sloane, thinking of his mother, the woman from my vision who had risked her life to protect us. I thought of all the people who had died during the Glamour War because of the dark Fey and their pursuit to end the prophecy. His comforting smile didn’t match the rest of his features. Sloane tapped his fingers against the marble countertop, each time making a different sound. I reached out and laced my fingers between his, desperate for his power.
“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not your fault,” he said in a hushed tone, as if we were the only people in the room. “If the Gods and Goddesses willed this, then there was nothing you could have done to change it.”
“He’s right,” Kate said over my shoulder. “We don’t have much time until the bell. We can talk about this later.”
“Okay,” I said, my gaze shifting toward the front of the classroom.
Dr. Callahan looked at Kate, and when she gave the nod of approval, the doctor began the lesson on how to make magical salves.
I tapped Sloane with my elbow to get his attention. “Can we talk later?”
He wrapped his arm around my back, sending electric waves down my spine. “I have football practice. Meet me by the bleachers before it starts.”
After Witching Hour, I counted the seconds until the end of the day. Each class, I’d stare at the clock on the wall, as if it were a bomb about to detonate.
My mind drifted into dark territory, but I wouldn’t allow myself to be swept away by the horror of my visions. My mother’s blood-soaked face and the sight of her body hitting the pavement were too much to bear. I had lived through her death once. That had been hard enough.
I spotted black football pants and a purple practice jersey as I rounded the edge of the field. Sloane was propped up against the bleachers, a helmet clutched in his hand. My heart sank to my stomach when he smiled, and I lost all train of thought.
I tugged at the strings of my backpack to keep myself from fidgeting. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“No problem,” Sloane said with a wide grin. “I always have time for my Nona.”
I looked at him sideways. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Nona?” he said, somewhat embarrassed. “You don’t remember, do you?”
I shook my head. “No, but you call me that a lot in my dreams.”
“When my mom told me your name, I couldn’t pronounce it. I thought she’d called you Nona, and the name stuck.”
I shook my head, baffled. “How old were you?”
“I don’t know. Probably one or two.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, a bit surprised we had known each other that long.
It was another memory my mother had ripped away from me. I understood it had been done out of necessity, but it still hurt. Sloane had years of memories, but for me, it was like meeting him for the first time.
“It will come back to you eventually,” he said, hopeful.
I felt a twinge of guilt and wished I could remember, but since we’d met, nothing but little chunks had played out over various dreams I had.
“Kate said it’d take time.” I brushed my fingers against his and smiled.
The football team huddled on the field around Coach Jackson and his staff.
Coach held a clipboard in his hand, checking off names as he called them out. “Blackwell.” Coach scanned the field. “Sloane Blackwell.”
Sloane looked over his shoulder, flustered. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Go!” I nudged his arm and laughed as Coach mumbled a bunch of obscenities. “I’ll wait here until practice is over.”
I walked with Sloane to the edge of the bleachers. Declan took off his helmet and threw his hands in the air.
Nate smacked Declan in his bicep. “Looks like the new guy’s stealing your girl, Delaney. You gonna do something about it?”
A cacophony of guttural sounds echoed as the players layered around them. I stood on the first row of benches, about to take my seat, but I had the sudden urge to rip Nate’s head off. He was interfering with my friendship with Declan and any potential future I had with Sloane. I couldn’t allow Nate to pit them against each other.
I strolled onto the field with my fists balled at my sides. “Shut your mouth, Nate. And, for the record, I’m not his girl, so back off.”
He held his hands up in defense. “Okay, chill. What is it? That time of the month? I was just messing around.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Declan said, gritting his teeth. “Apologize…now!”
“Okay, okay.” Nate smirked at me. “Sorry.”
I rolled my eyes at his pathetic apology. A sly grin spread across Declan’s lips, and he lifted me over his shoulder with no effort. On our way to the bleachers, I looked back at Sloane and winked. He laughed but not for long. Coach took my interruption out on him, forcing him to run cone drills for two hours without a sip of water. And the same went for Declan. He threw so many passes that I wondered if his arm was still in its socket.
After practice, Declan went straight to the showers, promising to stop by later for dinner. The parking lot was desolate, except for a few cars. I leaned against the driver’s window of my mother’s BMW. It was white and nowhere ne
ar as clean as Declan kept Shelby. I zoned out to the music on my cell phone until Sloane snuck up behind me and tugged on the cord dangling from my ears.
“Oh, hey.” I pulled out the earbuds and stuffed them in my pocket. “Sorry about practice. I didn’t mean to get you guys in trouble.”
Sloane’s lips twisted into a sweet smile. “It was worth it.”
My cheeks warmed at his comment. “I need your help. The vision I had earlier in the Catacombs, I need to know what my mom was trying to tell me. I don’t really get the whole prophecy thing, and I’m not sure I even believe in it, but if there’s something I can do, I want to help as much as I can.”
Sloane clutched my hand, and the power of his aura rushed through me. I closed my eyes and focused on the dream. As the images played before me, the connection between our minds was similar to the last time but more intimate. It was difficult to comprehend. I laughed on the inside, imagining it was like aliens probing my brain. Then, I wondered if Sloane could hear my thoughts, and I was mortified.
The electricity of his aura and the euphoria that surged into me contradicted the sullen look on his face.
It took a few moments before my senses returned. “What do you think she meant? I mean, obviously, it can’t be a premonition. She’s been dead for ten years. I think, in some strange way, she’s trying to tell me something.” His eyebrows scrunched together, but he didn’t speak, so I continued, “I know that sounds crazy.”
Sloane shook his head. “You’re not crazy. I agree with you. She says that you’re the key. Do you think she means you in the literal sense or an actual key? Did she leave something behind?”
“Not that I know of. The only key I can think of is the Crescent key to the Catacombs. It opens every gateway portal in Arcadia. Kate wears it around her neck, so there’s no way I’m getting my hands on it until after my Divine Succession.”
“The orchard you were standing in was in Krona.” Sloane tried to hide his concern, but his features didn’t match. “That’s where I jumped through the portal.”
My body turned to stone, frozen in shock. I attempted to speak, but nothing came out, and then my brain started working again. “Do you think it’s all connected? Dark Fey definitely came through that portal.” A crippling fear rocked me to the core. “I’m not ready for this.” I pushed back the tears weighing down my lids. “How am I supposed to lead this Coven? I have no idea what I’m doing. When we met, I should have followed you, found out who you were, but I let you go. And now, this—”
Sloane rested his hands on my shoulders, his eyes fixed on mine. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. For right now, all we can do is wait.”
My emotions calmed with his touch.
I offered him a ride home, which provoked a conversation about Initiation next weekend. We went over the basic details, and both of us felt equally unprepared.
When I parked in front of his house, Sloane reached for the door handle and hesitated. He slid his arm behind my headrest and flashed an adorable smile. “Do you have plans tomorrow?”
“Not really.” I was calm until I realized where he was going with this. “I have to work a few hours in the morning, but that’s about it.” The rapid increase in my heartbeat made my words sound like mush.
“Would you want to go to Terra Falls in the afternoon?”
I noted a slight trepidation in his voice, which took me by surprise.
Over the years, I had gone on plenty of dates, but this was different. Even though we’d just met, I felt like I had been waiting years for this day.
“Yes.” I smiled so wide that the muscles in my face hurt. “Come to my house at two o’clock. I live in the big house with white shutters down the street from Enchanted Books and Beans. You’ll know it when you see it
“I remember where you live. It takes up half of the block. I’m sure I won’t miss it.” Sloane laughed once and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “See you tomorrow, Nona.”
That name would take some time to get used to, but I played along. “Bye, Sloane.”
A sickness rose up from my stomach as I watched him climb the stairs. The rosebushes that lined the walkway were in full bloom. Perfect red and white petals sprouted out from clumps of evergreen. For some reason, I could recall the day his mother had planted them years ago. Minute details of our past life together would seem to pop up when I’d least expected.
He lived in a brick Colonial, not as big as mine but twice the size of Declan’s. All of the homes in Arcadia had the same porch, some with pillars. After my parents’ deaths, the house had felt cold and empty. We had more formal sitting rooms than I could count and enough bathrooms to keep a housekeeper, if we had one, busy all day.
But his house oozed warmth. In my mind, I imagined it smelling like freshly baked cookies or laundry detergent. I could recall his mom standing on the porch in an apron with yellow chicks on it. She was the kind of mom who would draw your name in hearts on your lunch bag.
As if the floodgates opened, my memories washed over me, one at a time. It made me dizzy, seeing them all at once, but it wasn’t much different than my visions.
Sloane turned and waved, holding the screen door in his hand.
I opened the door, slid my legs to the side, and stood on the sill of the car, my body bent over the hood. “I remember!” I yelled, excited beyond words. “I remember everything.”
Once I knew the truth, there was only one thing more powerful than the curse that could break me, and I was staring right at him.
Chapter 14
Sleep was pointless. My eyes opened to a soft breeze that blew open the curtains as dawn broke over the mountains. Tiny bumps pricked the surface of my arms and legs. I hopped out of bed, shut the window, and tied a silk robe at my waist. The air in my room was crisp and earthy.
When I stepped into the hallway, my senses ignited, beckoning me to follow the scent of coffee downstairs. I checked the sitting room first, then the living room, dining room, and then the kitchen. Instead of Kate, I found assorted pastries on the marble breakfast bar. I poured a cup of coffee and bit down on a cheese Danish. With the pastry dangling from my mouth, I kicked open the patio doors off the kitchen.
Kate was on her usual chaise lounge in the backyard. She sipped coffee from her favorite mug that read, Not All Witches Live in Salem. It had a giant chip in the black ceramic and looked like it’d survived a nuclear war. I tapped the door with my slipper, catching Kate’s attention as it slammed behind me.
“You’re up early, sweetie. Did you have another nightmare?”
I spread out on the chair next to Kate and set my mug on the table between us. “No—or at least, I don’t remember having one.”
“You’re probably just nervous about your big date.” Kate sat up and made a low squealing sound. “I can’t believe it’s finally happening. This is so exciting!”
I bit into my Danish and shook my head. “You know it’s not my first date, right?”
She was so giddy that it was as if the cranky black-salt Nazi had disappeared. It came as a relief to see her happy, which I assumed had something to do with Quinn and their late nights at the bookstore.
“I know, but it’s your first date with Sloane. This is like prom and every first date rolled into one. I always knew this day would come.”
“I remember everything now—all of our birthdays, barbecues at the house, swimming at the Pavilion, even our wedding ceremony.” I stared into the depths of our backyard.
Tall oak trees, enchanted to protect our property, loomed over the creek at the edge of the forest. From where I sat, I could see the entrance where Sloane had kissed me.
“I can’t believe I’ve known Sloane since we were babies. How many people can say that about their husbands?” I laughed, and so did Kate. “It sounds so ridiculous to say that out loud. I mean, a wedding between two witches is binding for life, right?”
Kate nodded her head. “It was what the Gods and Goddesses wanted. We didn’t have to coerce
you, like some Crescent Witches and Telepaths had been forced to do. You and Sloane had a spark between you that no one could break. To see that in children your age was unbelievable. That boy really loved you, and you loved him just as much.”
I sat up in my chair, pastry balanced on one knee, and lifted the mug to my mouth. It took me a minute to work up the nerve, but I was dying to ask. “So, what’s up with you and Quinn? You guys are way too friendly. Did you hook up back in the day?”
Kate shielded her flushed cheeks with the giant mug and sank deeper into the chair.
“Oh my God! What are you hiding?”
She looked up at me with a devious grin. “It’s nothing.”
I was so excited that I practically jumped out of my chair. “Tell me now!”
“Okay, fine. You’ll probably find out anyway.” Kate propped her elbow on the arm of her chair and sighed. “I dated Quinn my junior year of high school until the summer after I graduated. He was six years older than me, so let’s just say, Grandma wasn’t too thrilled that I was dating your father’s best friend.”
My eyes were as wide as my mouth. “What happened?”
Kate stared at the creek, its running water the only sound around us. “Emma had a huge crush on Quinn. She was constantly getting in the way, starting fights. After we broke up, I distanced myself from the Coven and Quinn. The night before the Fall Festival, I found him making out with Emma on the side of Enchanted Books and Beans.”
I gripped the arm of my chair. “Seriously? What did you do?”
Kate set her mug on the circular table between us, her lips pursed in disgust. “I confronted them…and that’s when I found out that Emma was pregnant with Sloane.”
My mouth opened and clamped shut. “Wow!”
“I know. It was the second worst day of my life.” She paused for a second and wiped the corner of her eye. “I never really got over him.”