Dad said he’s been gone for the last five years so he could prepare to defeat Seth. What if his plans are as misguided as mine have been? Maybe it would be best to leave everything in the hands of the council. If I have no more abilities, maybe I won’t be able to cause any more damage.
Chapter Nine
When the final bell of the day sounds, a loud sigh of relief escapes my lips. Bridget and Crystal both raise an eyebrow, but I ignore them. How can this day not have been as exhausting for them as it’s been for me? All I want is to put distance between myself and… everything. But for now I’ll settle for distance from the bustle of school.
I keep my head down as I maneuver through the hall to my locker. I have to get home and explain to my dad what happened today, what the elder council said. I still can’t quite wrap my mind around everything.
I spin the dial on my locker and open it. Not bothering to sort through what I’ll need for homework, I stuff my whole backpack inside and slam the door.
“My thought exactly.” Felix’s voice is so close behind me I jump, clutching my chest as I turn. “Who’s got time for homework when the world’s going to hell around you?” He offers a tight-lipped smile. “I wouldn’t even come anymore except my mom has no idea about any of this craziness, and I’d just as soon not tell her.”
I sigh, leaning against my locker, ignoring the dig of the lock in my back. “My parents do know all about everything and they still made me come.”
He pulls his phone from his back pocket. “Speaking of your parents, I got a text from your dad today.”
“What?” I pull the phone from his hand and read the message he’s pulled up on the screen. It’s an invitation—more a demand, really—for the psychics to be at my house at four thirty this afternoon.
“I’m not sure how he got all our numbers,” Felix says, removing the phone from my grasp. “I don’t know if I’m impressed or creeped out. He also sent me a personal request.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“He asked if I would bring you home. I said yeah, but I’ll expect a tip.” He winks before starting down the hall. I’m at his side before he continues. “Besides the drama with Jodi leaving, how’s that going? Having him back, I mean?”
I’m surprised it’s taken this long for him to ask, but I suppose we’ve had plenty to talk about besides my feelings regarding my dad’s return. “Weird.”
He nods thoughtfully as we head down the stairs and toward the parking lot. He’s got more to ask, but he’s waiting until we won’t be overheard. It’s not until we’re in his car and on the road that he continues. “Was the situation the same with him? You know—before?”
I wonder if this thought’s been buzzing in his head since he found out my dad was in town. Felix is one of three people who know about the alternate timeline, my reality. Crystal Jamison knows because she went back in time with me; indeed, it was her actions that set the alternate path in motion. Owen knows because somehow—maybe due to his psychic abilities—he started remembering bits of his life from before things changed. But Felix knows because I chose to tell him, to trust him.
“It was similar. Here, apparently when my dad left he told my mom to move me to Clearwater to live with Jodi. That didn’t happen for me. I only moved here after…” Even though my mom is perfectly fine in this timeline, it’s still hard to talk about before, when she died in a car accident. I swallow. “But, yeah, besides that the timing of him leaving is the same.”
He nods thoughtfully. “How did he react to the whole council thing?”
I shrug. “I haven’t told him.” Unlike Felix, I don’t have my dad’s phone number. Besides, how could I really express everything that happened in a text?
“I bet he’s gonna like it about as much as we do.”
I shift. I’ve been thinking about what the elder council said since third hour. It’s been hard not to: In every class, during lunch, it’s all the witches and psychics have been able to talk about—how we have to stop the council, how we can’t let them take our abilities. I’ve nodded along emphatically so often I feel something like a bobble-head dog on a dashboard. Still, I’m not sure I agree. I haven’t felt comfortable sharing my feelings with anyone, but I trust Felix. “Would it really be such a bad thing?”
Felix’s eyes flicker from the road. “For the elder council to take away our abilities and mess with our memories so we don’t remember ever having them? Yes. I’d say that’d be bad.”
“I don’t know. I just keep thinking about everything that’s gone wrong. If I hadn’t helped the circle go back in time to get the crystal, Seth never would’ve gotten out. He never would’ve killed all those people. We wouldn’t be in this mess now.”
Felix’s jaw jumps and his mouth twitches like he’s too full of words to know what to say first. He takes in a breath and releases it slowly. “I see where you’re coming from. But there’s no denying that these abilities are part of who we are. So are our memories. Without those, will we even remember we’re friends? Have you thought about that? Before this whole psychic thing, you and I weren’t really on speaking terms. Bria was a loner.” He pulls to a red light and locks his eyes on me. “And what about Owen? If he forgets he’s psychic, does that mean he’ll forget everything he knows about your reality, too?”
I point out the windshield. “Light’s green.” I chew on my lower lip as Felix continues down the road. I hadn’t considered how changing our memories would affect our relationships with each other. “Maybe it would be best if Owen forgot. Right now, having those memories is only hurting him. It’s like he doesn’t see how things aren’t the same as they were before, and every time I push him away, I see this… betrayal in his eyes.”
Felix turns down my street. “Which begs the question—why are you pushing him away?”
It’s the thing I’ve wondered myself a hundred times. “Things are just too complicated right now. How do I explain things to Fox? So far as he’s concerned, the two of us have been happily together for three years. Since the binding spell, he can already sense the connection between Owen and me, and that’s already confusing enough.”
“Have you considered just telling him?” He pulls the car in front of the house and parks it, cutting the ignition.
I tug on my seatbelt, playing for time. It’s a straightforward enough question: Why haven’t I told Fox? There are no simple answers. What if he doesn’t believe me? He might think I’m just trying to spare his feelings. Or, if he does believe me, what’s to keep him from telling others? If Griffin finds out about my hand in releasing Seth, it’ll give him one more reason to blame me for Zane’s death. Or what if he feels betrayed because I didn’t tell him sooner? Under Felix’s gaze, I resort to the default answer, the one I settle for when the other possibilities start to overwhelm me. “I think the fewer people who know, the better. Crystal and I agreed when we came back that we had to keep it a secret. You and Owen aren’t even supposed to know.”
His lips press together and I know he understand my words for what they are: an excuse. But he releases a breath and unbuckles his seatbelt and I know I’m safe—for now. We climb out of his car and I lead the way to the front door.
“Kristyl, is that you?” Dad calls as I enter. I bristle. He knows I go by Krissa now, yet he refuses to call me that.
“Yeah, Dad. I’m here with Felix.”
He sits on the couch in the living room, an atlas open on his lap. Anya sits beside him and automatically I gauge the distance between them. Is she sitting closer than necessary? Are their bodies brushing in any spots? I hate the idea of the two of them alone in this house all day. If either of them notice my appraisal, they ignore it. “How was school? As normal as possible?”
I take a seat on the adjacent couch and Felix settles beside me. “About that. Do you know anything about the elder council?”
Dad and Anya exchange glances. “We had a feeling they’d make an appearance sooner rather than later. Did they tell you what they’r
e planning?”
Felix and I take turns explaining. Neither Dad nor Anya seem surprised by anything we say.
“It’s what we figured,” Anya says when we’re done. “It’s what the original elder council did. If they were at their full strength, and if your circle wasn’t bound, I doubt they would’ve taken the time to explain anything to you—they just would’ve done it.”
“But you’re not going to let them do it, right?” Felix asks. “You’ve got a plan to stop Seth—one that won’t take our abilities and make us forget?”
“We do,” Dad says quickly.
“At least we’re pretty sure if we’re the ones to get rid of Seth the council’s spell won’t enact,” Anya adds.
“Pretty sure?” Felix’s eyebrows hitch upward.
The corners of Anya’s mouth twitch. “This is some pretty intense magic we’re dealing with—spells generations old. Pretty sure is about as certain as we can get.”
“It’s fine,” I say, and I mean it. So long as Seth is out of the picture, it doesn’t matter what the collateral damage might be. “So, what’s the plan? When do we make a move? Today? Is that why you want the psychics to come over?”
Dad holds his hand up. “Slow down. Yes, we need the psychics to gather some information today, but we’re not ready to strike yet.”
“Then when?” Felix asks. “I’ll be honest—I’m still not a hundred percent after this weekend. But I figure in a few days, we’ll probably all be ready to go up against Seth—”
“Whoa—wait.” Dad’s face tightens. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but when the time comes, it won’t be the circle who goes up against him—not directly.”
“What does that mean?”
A muscle in Dad’s jaw jumps. “The time will come for you all to know the plan, but for right now, just be satisfied in knowing that Seth won’t succeed. We’ll make sure of it.”
It’s clear from Dad’s tone that he’s given away all he will for the time being, but Felix is still bubbling with questions. He links his thoughts to mine. Does that mean they expect us to just sit around? Do they think they can take care of everything by themselves? Your dad doesn’t even have abilities, does he?
I search every memory of my father and all the sensations I’ve gathered from him since his return. No, no abilities. And it sounds like they will need our help, just not right now.
Felix exhales noisily but doesn’t continue our mental conversation. He’s irritated we don’t know more, and while part of me can’t blame him, I can’t help thinking it might be for the best. Perhaps the less of a hand I have in things, the better the outcome will be for everyone.
Chapter Ten
By four thirty, all of the psychics have arrived.
Dad waits until the last arrival—Tucker—flops in the vacant spot beside Owen before launching into an explanation of why he’s called us here. “If we can, we’d like to get a lock on Seth’s location. We know he’s not in Clearwater anymore, but we don’t know if he’s found his way to the Devoted yet.”
Owen shifts in his seat. He’s uncomfortable, and I can feel as he fights the urge to shove Tucker away. He needs to remember the same thing I do: This isn’t the same person from the other reality. “But why do you need the psychics? Shouldn’t you have the witches do a locater spell?”
“Jodi’s circle tried before they left town. Seth must’ve done a spell to shield his location. But it’s possible you can get a sense of him despite that.” Dad glances at Anya, who nods in agreement.
Tucker leans back, running his hand through his tousled dark brown hair. “Yeah, sure. Let’s use our mind powers to find the evil magic dude. Sounds legit.”
Anya sighs. “Look, I know this sounds crazy, and I’m sorry you got pulled into it, but like it or not, you’re part of this.”
Tucker holds up his hands innocently. “I’m just not sure what you expect me to be able to do. Before Sunday, I didn’t even know psychics and witches were real. Now I’ve got my ex’s thoughts buzzing around in my head. Maybe I should go—you know, leave this to the professionals.”
I press my lips together. As appealing as the idea to let him walk out the door is, I know better. “We’re stronger together—especially now that we’re bound. If we can pool our abilities, we’re more likely to be able to sense Seth.”
“Krissa’s right.” Anya offers me the tiniest of nods, and I can’t help appreciating the fact she used my nickname. “Now, if you’ll allow me, I can guide you all through the process of searching for him.”
My friends’ eyes flicker in my direction, but I give no indication whether we should follow her or not. My feelings about Anya are too mixed up. I don’t want to like her, don’t want to trust her, but I know it has more to do with her relationship with my father than her as a person.
After a beat, Bria looks back at Anya. “Lead the way.” She closes her eyes. One by one, the others follow suit. Tucker, of course, is last, a shock of surprise thrumming through him when he realizes he’s supposed to be doing something. I roll my shoulders, trying to bury my unease at being able to sense him so clearly. After a few calming breaths, I reach out, connecting purposefully to the psychics’ energies. I’m immediately overcome by the collective power made available to me. This is beyond what I felt last time I linked with the psychics—more like the surge of energy that swelled in me when I went up against Seth. It’s the binding spell. It links us on a deeper level than was possible before.
Last of all, I connect with Anya. The addition of her energy is nothing compared to what the six of us share, but her purpose is merely to guide. She sends instructions to us mentally—think about Seth.
I do as she directs, dredging up every detail I can about him. The specific shade of his brown hair, the friendly gap between his front teeth, the particular green of his eyes, the cadence of his voice. But I’ll need more to sense him, with who knows how much distance between us. His energy is what I need to locate, the unique glow of his mind, his abilities. Not the one I got to know when he was Seth White, distant relative and employee at Jodi’s shop, but the one he revealed this weekend, as Seth Whitacre, the last psychic witch born of the Barnette and Whitaker lines. He’s like me, and I cling to that similarity—the magnet that will draw me to him.
Anya guides us beyond Clearwater’s borders. But he’s not too far away. He can’t be. The pull of the town is too strong. It’s his haven—or it will be, once he’s regained his former power. He’ll be the king of a new kingdom, and that kingdom will bring in a new era, one where abilities are revered, feared. Where he’ll be worshiped and those without powers will bow down and beg for his mercy. He will crush any rebellion, and no one will ever stand against him. Once he’s able to absorb the circle’s powers, he’ll be unstoppable.
East. East. He’s to the east. Somewhere safe, full of open arms. He’s been welcomed, the prodigal finally returned. The people he’s with will do anything to help him. They will give their lives. They’ll kill, if they have to. They have waited for generations for this second coming, and now that it’s here, they will stop at nothing to restore Seth to his rightful place as their leader, as the leader of all. He’s found his Devoted.
A new energy washes over me and I realize our mistake too late. We’ve been found. Unfamiliar consciousnesses rip through my mind, delving deep for information—anything I’ve learned, any plans we have to rise against Seth.
I have to pull back, but I can’t. The psychics at the other end of my mind’s tether hold my thoughts captive. I draw on more power from the circle I’m bound to, blocking my thoughts and pushing the invaders from my head. It takes an almighty effort, but I’m eventually able to pull away, shielding my own location as I draw my abilities back through the intervening space, back into my own body inside my house.
Hands grip my upper arms and a voice reaches my ears as if from a great distance. Dad’s voice. Dad’s hands. He shakes me until I manage to open my eyes. “Kristyl. Kristyl, what’s happening?�
�
I reach forward, gripping my father’s shoulders. He’s the only thing keeping me upright. I take in a deep breath before attempting to speak. “He’s nearby. A small community to the east. Someone... Psychics realized what I was doing. They tried to break into my head.”
He curses. “Anya knew the Devoted would be looking for him. We just hoped it’d take longer for them to find him.”
I regain control of my body and manage to sit. Only then do I see the state of the other psychics. Bria is curled forward over the arm of the love seat. Owen, Felix, and Tucker are all slumped over on the couch, and West’s head is tipped backward, exposing his neck, and his arms are limp at his sides. Anya’s eyelids flutter weakly. “What happened to them?” I ask.
I try to stand, but my movements are uncoordinated. Dad holds me down. “They’re fine,” he says. “Give them a minute to come around. I have a feeling the binding spell siphoned off a bit more energy than any of you were expecting. You must’ve had to fight pretty hard to get away from whoever was on the other end.”
Since Dad won’t let me stand, I turn my attention to Bria. The steady rise and fall of her chest assures me she’s alive, and when I jostle her shoulder, she grunts and her eyelids flutter. Across the room, Owen begins to rouse. Through our link, I check on him. He’s not fully awake yet, but he’s climbing toward consciousness. In just a few moments, I’ll be back to sensing his thoughts and emotions.
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