Destiny Revealed

by Bailey, Nicole

  “Hey, Luca,” I called over to him as he stood in the doorway to go.

  “Yeah?”

  “I need you to work with me on controlling my magic. Nick said I’ve been doing stuff again without noticing and I can’t let that happen in public. We got into it a little after the Ky thing and he said when I was yelling that the lights flickered,” I explained.

  “No prob. Text me when you’re free and I’ll let you know my work schedule.” He left and closed the door behind him.

  “You yelled at Nick? Is there trouble in perfect land?” Nat asked with a smile.

  “He yelled first,” I started. Nat’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “I was trying to explain how serious this dream was and told him that even if he’s asleep next to me, it could happen again. So of course, he didn’t want to hear any more. I think he feels like he doesn’t have control over the situation and he’s very protective.”

  “Well, dur,” Nat said.

  “So then I yelled back,” I continued. “I reminded him that he was only hearing about Ky, but I had to actually see him and Gia. And apparently, the lights flickered when I yelled.”

  “Yikes. You’re right. You definitely need to get that under control,” Nat agreed.

  “Yeah, he joked that he didn’t want to see me mad because he was scared of me.” I actually chuckled a little at the memory of Nick’s face when he said it to me.

  Nat laughed and then asked, “Was Luca serious? About the killing Ky thing I mean?”

  “Not sure,” I answered. “Nick is serious about it, though. At first, I told him that we should just let the coven take care of him. But now, I don’t know if I care. I seriously want to kill Gia.”

  “Sof, you’re not a killer. You wouldn’t.”

  I didn’t respond, but shrugged at her. She dropped it for now. “So, if you don’t care, I’m gonna take off. Jack’s already on his way home from work.”

  “Oh sure, of course. How are things with the newlyweds going anyway?”

  “Fabulous,” she smiled.

  I laughed. “Well, have fun. I think I’m gonna come in to the store tomorrow. I’m getting bored and I’ve caught up on my sleep.”

  “Are you gonna be okay alone for right now? Oh who am I kidding? The girl can light a candle with her freakin’ breath,” she rolled her eyes.

  “Actually, I might go over to Aberto’s. Nick is prepping right now,” I said.

  “Okay then. Have fun, love.”

  I followed Nat out the door and went down the stairs to my car. I drove to the restaurant and surprised Nick when I walked up behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and bit him playfully on the neck. He turned to face me and picked me up. “What is my beautiful wife doing all the way on this side of town?” he smiled and kissed me gently on the mouth.

  “Ugh, get a room you two,” Robby said from across the kitchen. He was stuck helping out during the summer too. He wanted to earn some money for a new cell phone. I felt bad since he already worked there during the school year so much. The kid deserved a summer break. But he was lucky they were paying him this time.

  I walked over to him and pinched his cheeks. “How is my sweet, little Roberto today?” I teased. He backed away from me and rolled his eyes, but I knew he secretly loved it when I teased him.

  “Ah, Sofia,” I heard the big, booming voice from the kitchen entrance. Aberto walked up to me and kissed me on both cheeks. “What is our principessa up to this afternoon?”

  It felt so good to be welcomed into Nick’s family so warmly. Before I could answer, Daniela burst into the kitchen to yell at Robby. She saw me and came over to kiss me while still yelling at Robby for missing one of the table settings in the dining room. They opened at 4 p.m. every day and she was very serious when it came to having everything perfect. “Bella Sofia. Come va?” she asked.

  “Just came to see my cute husband. I got bored at the pool by myself,” I smiled.

  “Okay, you leave now, Nico,” she turned to him. He was in the process of making gnocchi from scratch for their chicken and gnocchi soup. “Go home to be with your wife.”

  “Oh, no Mamma, that’s okay. You need him here. I can hang out and help,” I said.

  “You sure?” she asked.

  “Sὶ, what can I do?” I asked.

  “You can set my table,” Robby piped up.

  Daniela gave him a dirty look and turned back to me. “Can you make the breadsticks? They are rolled, just sprinkle the garlic and put them in the oven.” Her accent was even heavier than Babbo’s. It made me smile as I thought about our time in Italy. I nodded and got right to work beside Nick.

  “Sorry it’s taking so long,” Nick apologized.

  “It’s fine. I like being here. It makes me feel good to be around your family. You would never know there was bad blood between our families only a few months ago.”

  “I know, right?” he looked over at me.

  “I was especially worried about your mamma. She was so set on you being with Beth,” I said it like it was a dirty word and it made Nick laugh.

  “Hey, Sof,” Robby called over.

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you teach me how to set the table with magic so I don’t have to go out and do it?” he gave me a big, cheesy grin.

  “Sorry, no can do. It’s not something I can just teach you,” I apologized.

  “Well, how ‘bout you do it for me? Magically?” he pleaded.

  “Well…” I thought about it.

  “Don’t do it,” Nick chanted. “Make the lazy kid do it himself.”

  “Will you give me a kiss if I do it?” I asked.

  “Sὶ, anything,” he said excitedly. “Can I come watch?”

  “Go make sure your parents aren’t around first,” I said. I did not want to get in trouble by doing magic in their restaurant, especially when it was to help Robby get out of work. He left the kitchen and came back a second later.

  “Babbo’s in the office and Mamma is all the way on the other side,” he whispered. I followed him in to the dining room to the missed table.

  “Okay, here you go. Abra cadabra,” I said as I waved my hands over the table. The napkins folded and the silverware placed itself in the right spots.

  Robby gasped, “Are those really magic words?”

  “No, you dork. I don’t have to use words for simple stuff like that.” He looked offended, but hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

  We snuck back in to the kitchen where I finished putting the last of the bread in the oven while Robby broke down some lettuce for salad. “You are way too nice to him,” Nick laughed. “He’s getting spoiled.”

  “Oh, he’s so cute,” I said. “I can’t resist.”

  Nick finished up a few minutes later and went to find his dad. Daniela came back in the kitchen to see how it was going. “They’re in the oven. Do you want me to stay to take them out? Nick is finished with the pasta,” I asked.

  “No, no. You go home and enjoy your marriage,” she wiggled her eyebrows at me and I blushed. Nick walked back in and I took his hand to go.

  The next few days were eerily quiet. I was worried that it was the calm before the storm and didn’t allow myself to get too comfortable. Nick worked at the restaurant everyday while I helped at the store. I picked him up when we were both done because I would be able to protect myself with magic if I was attacked. I was worried that Ky or Gia could jump Nick at any time if I left him alone. He may have been a werewolf, but if he was surprise attacked with magic, he had no chance.

  Babbo got in touch with Enzo and asked him about Ky. Of course his parents had no idea he was working with Gia. “They don’t even know where he is,” I told Nick one night.

  “What? How do they not know where their own son is?”

  “Apparently, he moved out a little over a week ago. He didn’t tell them where he was moving and has only called once to let them know he was fine,” I answered.

  “Do you think he’s staying with her?” he never sai
d Gia’s name so he wouldn’t upset me.

  “Most likely. They were together in an apartment when we had our vision.”

  “What about Angelo or Carlo?” he asked.

  “Yeah right. I blinded Angelo and broke Carlo’s leg. You honestly think they would help us?” I reminded him.

  “Oh. Right. What about trying another spell to find them?”

  “We have tried. She’s blocking us now, so all we get is the same picture as before. It’s like a movie on pause,” I explained.

  Nick sighed deeply. “Well, what next?”

  “I don’t know. We wait, I guess. Mamma has been on the phone with everyone in the coven. No one has seen either of them.”

  “What if they aren’t in town?” he thought out loud. “What if they’re hiding out in Pinetop?” Pinetop was an even smaller town than Aspen Springs and only about twenty minutes north. “Do you guys know anyone up there who could look around?”

  “I’m not sure. I would have to ask Mamma. I guess it’s a start, right?” I tried to smile.

  “Vieni qui,” he reached out for me. I snuggled in close to him on the couch. The TV was on, but neither of us were really paying attention to it. “Ti voglio bene, Bella Mia,” he barely whispered into my hair.

  “I love you so much, Nick. Non posso vivere senza di te,” I said as I looked up into his eyes.

  “You won’t ever have to live without me. We’ll get through this. Hey, if we can get werewolves and witches to all be ‘BFFs’ again, as you say, then we can find two witches in this small town.” I nodded, though I didn’t believe it myself.

  ~Chapter Sixteen~

  All throughout the next day, I kept toying with an idea that might help us find Ky and Gia. It wasn’t a pleasant one, and in fact, made me sick to my stomach to think about.

  I asked Mamma at work if she knew anyone in Pinetop that might help us look around or know something, but there wasn’t anyone. We didn’t think it would work for one of us to go snooping around up there. Gia was powerful enough to do her own magic and she knew we were searching for her now. She probably had spells in place to sense our presence. I was so frustrated that I felt like I had to do something. I couldn’t stand the thought of her still out there plotting a way to get to Nick when I wasn’t around.

  There was one last option though before I went through with the plan. “I’m going to try a scrying spell,” I told Nick after work that evening.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Well, it’s a spell to help you find what you’re looking for. It’s not necessarily just for finding people, but we haven’t tried it yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “You need a full moon, and fortunately there will be one tonight,” I answered. “I can do it inside by the window, but I’d rather go outside in the woods to have access to the full brightness and power of the moon.”

  “Can I come with you?” he asked excitedly. “I love to watch you.”

  “Sure, as long as you remember to be quiet,” I ordered. He had a tendency to interrupt me during spells by asking questions.

  “I promise,” he smiled.

  “I’ll wait until around 11:30 tonight when the moon is at its very fullest. Are you sure you’ll be able to stand being in human form tonight?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. If not, I’ll watch you as a wolf,” he answered. While a full moon was not the only time a were shifted, like in folklore, it was a time in the month when they tended to be more aggressive and hormonal.

  The first full moon we were together after our binding was a little intense. After running in the woods practically all night, Nick came in and woke me. He couldn’t keep his hands off me, even more so than usual. It was a little strange, but now I was used to it. Almost looked forward to it, really. “Actually, maybe it’s best I stay a wolf. Unless it’s okay for me to be all over you,” he grinned.

  “Uh yeah, I kinda need to concentrate,” I laughed.

  There was a knock at the door and Nick shouted out for whoever it was to enter.

  Nat opened the door and walked in. “How do you know I wasn’t an evil witch coming to attack you? You might wanna check your peephole until we get them taken care of.”

  “I know your smell,” Nick said without looking up from the dinner table. We were eating his homemade pizza.

  “I have a smell?” she asked, scrunching up her face.

  “Everyone does. And there are two particular scents that are burned in my memory, so I don’t need to check the door. Plus, Luca set up those wards to protect our place,” he answered.

  “Hmm… what do I smell like?” Nat asked.

  “I smell like fruit,” I smiled.

  “Raspberries, to be more specific,” Nick leaned in and kissed my neck. “You smell more like cinnamon,” he turned to Nat.

  “Geez, do we all smell like food to you? You’re not gonna come attack me in my sleep are you?” she joked.

  “No, not everyone smells like food. Jack smells kind of like wet grass.” Nat and I laughed out loud.

  “Où est Monsieur Jacques anyway?” I asked.

  “He couldn’t pull himself away from some lame cop show,” she huffed. “Anyway, can I have some of that? It looks incredibly delicious.” She sat down next to me at the table and grabbed a slice of pizza.

  “Of course, help yourself,” I said. “Is that why you came over? You smelled food?”

  “No, actually. I was wondering what you’re doing tonight. I kinda wanted to have a girls’ night. That new romcom came out today,” she said, winding a long string of cheese around her finger and putting it in her mouth.

  “What on earth is a ‘romcom’?” Nick asked.

  “Romantic comedy,” Nat and I answered in unison.

  “I’m going to try a scrying spell tonight, but not until really late. What time is the movie?” I answered.

  “Oh, good idea. I hadn’t thought of that yet. Do you want me there for the extra boost of power?”

  “That’d be great,” I said.

  “I’m sure Jack will come too,” she offered. “Good grief, Nick. Can’t you wait until I leave?” Nick had pulled me into his lap and was kissing my neck again.

  “Uh, yeah, so he gets a little handsy during the full moon,” I blushed.

  “Oh, my bad. I’ll take that as my cue to leave. But the movie starts in forty minutes.”

  “I’ll come over in a bit then,” I said, swatting Nick’s hand away from where it started to roam.

  “Ciao,” she said as she left to go across the hall to her apartment. Most of the time we let ourselves in, but after walking in on her and Jack for the second time one night, I always knocked now.

  Twenty or so minutes later, Nat and I left for the movie while Nick went out in the woods. He told me he would find me when it was time for the spell. I made him promise to stay with one of the other weres all night. I still worried that Ky or Gia would show up at any time.

  When we got home, I started to get my supplies ready to go for the spell, but realized I was missing something. “Crap, do you have any quartz?” I asked Nat.

  “Uh, no. That’s not really something I keep lying around,” she answered.

  “You wanna run to the store with me really quick?” I asked. It was closer just to head to Mamma’s store than it was to go home to my parents’, and I had a key.

  “Sure. Do you need to leave Nick a note or anything?”

  “No, he’s out running until I go out there.”

  “Sheesh, I didn’t realize weres got that way on the full moon,” she giggled.

  “Yeah, it was kinda weird the first month. I was like, ‘what the crap is going on with you’?” I laughed as I climbed in my Mustang.

  We got to the store, and for some reason, it always creeped me out a little in the dark. We had a small section of crystals and I found some rose quartz quickly. It was close to 11pm by the time we got back to the apartment, so I hurried to get everything ready.

  “Okay, you�
�re sure you’ve got it all, right?” Nat asked.

  “Yep, quartz, ink, metal bowl and water,” I answered.

  “I’ll go get Jack then and meet you out back.”

  We separated at the stairs and I headed down and out back to the woods behind our complex. I loved the smell and inhaled deeply. I walked far enough in that I wouldn’t be seen by anyone pulling into the back parking lot and set up.

  It was nice and quiet so I wouldn’t have any trouble concentrating for the spell. I had changed in to my shift and pulled my athame out of it’s sheath around my calf. I created a circle on the ground big enough for Nat, Jack and I to all stand in and placed a few candles around. They weren’t necessary for the spell, but I needed the extra light.

  I smelled Nick a minute later and felt him walk up behind me and nuzzle my hand. “Ciao, amore mio,” I smiled. He licked my leg where it was exposed underneath my shift.

  “Hey, none of that,” I heard Nat say as she walked up to the circle. Nick barked playfully at her in response.

  “You guys ready?” I asked as I shoved Nick away. “You stay over there outside the circle,” I told him.

  Jack and Nat walked into the circle and I closed it with my athame. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply and relaxed to ground myself. I sat down and poured some bottled water into the metal bowl before chanting,

  Goddess of the soaring moon

  Grant to me this simple boon

  Show to me what I must see

  Reveal to me that which shall be.

  I picked up a small vial of black ink and dropped three drops in the water and said,

  Whence do I come?

  Where do I stand?

  Whence shall I go?

  Nat handed me the quartz and I cradled it in my hands and lifted it up to the moonlight. I closed my eyes and empowered the stone with my desire for guidance to where I needed to go to find Ky and Gia. I dropped it into the bowl and shouted,

  Let me see!

  So mote it be!

  I grabbed Nat and Jack’s hands, closed my eyes, cleared my mind and breathed deeply. I heard Jack’s intake of breath and figured I must be glowing. He hadn’t seen me do that yet. But he knew better than to say anything and break the spell.