Untainted Magic

by Karen DuBose

  She nods her head, looking over at me. “There is a city about thirty minutes up the road. I have been trying not to ask questions, but who were Zane and Sofia talking to and what happened to them?” How can I tell her who it was?

  “Well, that’s a funny story actually. It was the dark source.” There is silence for two heartbeats before she pulls over to the side of the road squealing the tires as she came to a stop. I’m glad I’m wearing my seatbelt. Mom and Chase woke up with fear in their eyes. “You are telling me the dark source was there and you didn’t say anything to any of us? What if he attacked us and we had no idea who it was? We all could have been killed?” I flinch at her yelling. She has never yelled at me before.

  I know I screwed up “I’m sorry Lex, I was just trying to get us out of there. He wasn’t there to hurt us. Don’t ask me how I know that. I just do.” I look at my hands, wringing the them together. I don’t know how to explain how I know this.

  “So, you know the dark source so well then? Did you guys become best buddies without any of us knowing?” I know she is angry and scared, so I let it slide.

  “No, you would have been the first to know if I had a new friend. Please Lex, I would never put your life in danger on purpose. If I thought for one second he would have hurt us, I would have said something.” She turns around in her seat gunning the SUV back onto the road.

  This is all becoming a huge mess. Mom and Chase haven’t said anything-- making me more agitated. I lean back into the seat and close my eyes. The headache that is starting behind my eyes is making me sick to my stomach. I can’t believe she yelled at me. I knew I should have told her, but there is no time. I just hope she doesn’t stay mad at me for long. That will hurt me more than she knows.

  We drive in silence for the remaining time that it took to get to the next town. I didn’t even bother to look what the name of it is. I just want to get out of this car and away from everyone for a few. Mom reaches over the seat, putting her hand over mine. “How did you know it was the dark source?”

  I took my hand away from hers, letting out a sarcastic chuckle. “He has been showing up in person and in my dreams. I figured it out last night. The pull to him is getting stronger. I didn’t say anything because at first, I thought he was just mystery guy. I still haven’t seen his face, so I have no idea what he looks like. I know when he is near, I can feel him. It’s not like I kept this all from anyone. I just found out who he was.” I look out the side window not looking at anything at all. I watch as the city passes by in a blur. I hear Chase say something to someone, but I wasn’t listening to what he said. We pull off the main road to a side street and into a parking garage.

  Mom takes my hand into hers and gives it a squeeze. “Are you coming, or do you want to stay here for a little while?”

  Looking over at her, I answer, “I’m going to stay here or go for a walk. Just let me do something before you go.”

  “Obumbratio deae sententia liberatum,

  Audi me nunc,

  Interrogabo vos et ego et operiet nos ignominia

  In umbra tua.

  Mote it be.” (The shadows of the goddesses, I ask you to cover us in your shadows.)

  After I cast the spell I get out of the car and walk away from the people I love. I can’t take being around them right now. I need fresh air to clear my head. I can’t stand the look of anger and disappointment that is all over Lex’s face and the pity my mom is giving me. They have every right to be upset with me. But, I couldn’t just blurt it out while we were being hunted down by the Zane and Sofia. I didn’t want them to know we were there.

  I look around for the first time, realizing the beautiful city we ended up in. The sky line alone takes your breath away. I wonder where we are. The stores are busy while people hustle to wherever they are going. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I have never been to a big city before. I find a bench seat a few feet away from me and walk over to it and sit down. I watch as the people rush by. I’ve always loved people watching. You can always tell what kind of day they are having. It amazes me how much you can learn from watching them.

  The sun is going down as I watch it disappear behind the sky line. I know I have to go back soon, I just don’t know if I can face them yet. Standing up, I walk back the way I came. At least I was smart enough to remember which way I came from. I look at all the buildings and stores as I walk back. This is about the coolest thing I have ever seen. So much to see. Too bad we can’t stay here a while. I would love to explore this city.

  From some of the souvenir shops I’ve seen, we are in Boise, Idaho. I’m sure it isn’t as big as other cities, but to me this place is huge. I love the lights that twinkle from the buildings. It reminds me of white, Christmas lights.

  The hotel comes into view quicker than I expected. Walking into the hotel, I let out a sigh. Taking out my phone, I text my mom and ask her what room we are in.

  As I wait for her to reply, I look around the hotel. The lounge is off to the right side. The specials are posted on a board. The desk is to the left with comfy looking chairs. I walk over to the chairs and take a seat. The walls are an off-white color with hints of teal and pinks. The pictures on the wall look like local artist’s work. I felt my phone vibrate.

  Room 227.

  Well I guess it’s time to head up there. Getting up, I walk over the elevators. When I get there, the elevator dings. I watch as the doors open, Mom, Lex, and Chase are standing there. Lex has tears in her eyes, Mom looks at me with sad eyes. Before I have a chance to react, Lex flew to me wrapping her arms around me. I almost didn’t have a chance to brace myself. She is sobbing so hard I can’t understand what she is saying.

  I pull her away, so I can see her face. “Calm down, I can’t understand you.” I wipe her tears away.

  “I’m so sorry I yelled at you. I didn’t mean it. When I heard it was him, my fear spiked and all I could think to do was yell to keep the fear from overcoming me. Please, please forgive me.”

  I pull her into another hug. “You know I would never hold back information from you on purpose. I forgive you. I understand your fear to well. Come on let’s go eat, I’m starving. I can tell you everything that I saw on my walk. Maybe we can go to some of the stores before we go.” Just like that we were ok again. She wipes her eyes as we walk into the lounge.

  The music playing is soft and relaxing, unlike the world we are living right now. We walk up to the host.

  “Are you dining with us or do you want to take it back to your rooms?”

  I think about it for a minute. It would be nice to actually sit down and eat. “Dining in please.” She gestures us to follow her.

  The place is busy. I hope the food is good. Lex wraps her arm around mine, looking up at me she gives me a sad smile. I smile back at her, squeezing her arm. We get to our booth, I let my mom slide in before I do. I like being on the outside. Lex and Chase do the same.

  Lex doesn’t even give us a chance to look at the menu before she is asking questions. “What is it like out there? I mean I drove in, but I wasn’t really looking at anything. I have never been to a big city before. Were there a lot of people? What kind of stores did you see?” I let out a laugh. She is just like me. A kid in a candy store.

  I smile at her excitement before I answer her. “It’s amazing. Yes, there are a lot of people, but not enough to make it crowded. I sat for a while-- people watching. I did see a wiccan shop I would really like to go visit. There are a lot of souvenir shops, clothing stores I never heard of, and other local stores. You should have seen the city lights as the sun was going down.” The smile she is giving can light up the night. I really hope we don’t have any more problems, I really want her to be able to enjoy the city for a few hours.

  The waitress comes up to us. “What can I get you guys to drink?”

  “I would love for a Dr. Pepper if you have it,” I say.

  “Sure, do and for you ma’am?” she says looking at my mom.

  “I will have Rum and
Coke, please.”

  I give my mom a sideways glance, she hardly ever drinks. “What? I think I deserve it after everything that has happened.” I shrug my shoulders. If I was old enough I would get one to. Mom leans over to whisper in my ear. “You’re ID says you’re twenty-one. Why don’t you get a drink?”

  I’m so stunned I didn’t even think twice before I change my order. Hell, you only live once, right? “I change my mind I want the house special please.”

  I can see Lex giving me what they hell are you doing look. “She will have the same” I point over to Lex.

  Before she could argue, Chase orders his drink. “I’m going to be the DD tonight. Give me a Dr. Pepper.” The waitress looks at me and Lex before asking.

  “I will need to see your ID’s please.” I could see Lex is scared. I gave her a nod. We both gave her our ID’s. Once she saw the dates, she hands them back to us, leaving us to get our drinks

  “Ok, what the hell?” Lex says when she grabs her ID. She looks at it and smiles.

  “Thank you, Ann. I don’t know how long you have been planning this, but this is amazing.” Mom just smiles at her. I’m hoping she would spill the beans as to how long she has been planning this, but I know my mom. She will never say anything until she is ready to say it.

  Chapter Nine

  There is so much to choose from and everything looks good. “Mom, what are you getting?”

  “I think I’m going to go with the rack of ribs and smoked chicken.”

  “That sounds good. Lex what about you?”

  “Bacon Cheese burger with a baked potato.”

  “You are going to turn into a cheese burger. Why don’t you try something new?”

  “What if I don’t like it?”

  “Then you can send it back and get you a cheese burger.” I’ve been trying to get her to eat something new every time we go out. She always gets the cheese burger.

  I hear her sigh. “Fine. I will try the chicken alfredo.”

  I bring the menu back up and smile. “That’s sounds perfect. I think I will have the same thing. Chase what about you?”

  “I’m getting the chop steak.”

  “Good choice. You know I’ve been thinking about the shenanigans we could get into. I think it’s time to pull my mom into it.”

  Chase looks up from his menu with a wicked grin. “Is that so? Hmm, I have a few things in mind. I will give you the details later.”

  I didn’t get a chance to ask more. The waitress came back with our drinks and ask if we are ready to order. We tell her what we want, and she walks away.

  “What have you guys been up to while I was gone?”

  “Worried sick about you.” Both Mom and Lex say at the same time.

  I let out a sigh. I knew they would be worried. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to be gone for so long. I had a lot to think about. We can disgust that later.” As soon as I got the last word out. I fell the pull. How the hell does he keep finding me so fast? I didn’t want to worry them if I didn’t have to. We need to eat, and I am going to show him I’m not afraid of him. He isn’t close yet, but he is getting there. I just hope I don’t give anything away.

  “We understand, Skye. Just next time don’t be gone so long. At least not until you feel safe.” Mom says as she leans into me.

  I rest my head on her shoulder. “I promise.”

  Our food comes out. It looks so good. I don’t want to be rude by stuffing my face. I watch Lex as the waitress puts her food in front of her. She gives it a weird look. “Try it Lex. It’s really good.” I bring my own up to my mouth and shovel it in. The taste explodes in my mouth. “Hmmm.”

  “Are you sure I will like this?”

  “I can’t be sure of anything. Just try it and see.” I never seen a pickier eater than her. I watch as she takes a small bite. Her eyes light up and she moans too.

  “See it doesn’t hurt to try new things. How is it?”

  “This is so good. Maybe I will start trying new things.”

  She stuffs her face some more, white sauce is covering the sides of her mouth. We all laugh at her and she rolls her eyes at us.

  We are silent while we eat. This may be the last good meal we have until we get to Tennessee. I just hope we get there. I have been ignoring the pull until now. It hasn’t got any stronger, I wonder if my spell is working. I will have to tell the others as soon as we get back to the room. I just hope I can convince them he is not here to hurt me yet. For some strange reason, I want him to be close to me. I don’t know what that is all about. I’m supposed to defeat him, not want him close. That has been beaten into my head for as long as I can remember. What the hell is wrong with me.

  Once we are done, we head back up to our room. He still isn’t close enough to worry about. I know if I don’t tell them they will be mad at me again. But I really want to visit the wiccan shop before we go. Ugh!

  We head straight for the elevators. We are lucky it’s still on the lobby floor. We pile in and Chase pushes the button to our floor. The elevator music is making me anxious. Please let them trust me.

  The doors open, and we head to the room. I fall behind because one I have no idea where the room is and two, I’m trying to find the right words to convince them he won’t hurt us.

  Once we were in the room I’m bombard with questions.

  “He’s here, isn’t he?”

  “How close is he?”

  “Were you going to tell us this time?” That one came from Chase. I guess he isn’t over being mad at me.

  “He is here, but not close. He isn’t here to hurt us. I don’t know how I can convince you of that. I think he is keeping the Coven Leaders away. He wants a fair fight and it’s not fair if I don’t have my full powers. I just wish you guys would trust me on this.” I shake my head, walking over to the bed. I sit down waiting for them to tell me how stupid I am for thinking he wouldn’t hurt us, but it never came.

  Lex sat down on my right while my mom sat to my left. “If you say he isn’t here to hurt us, then I believe you,” Lex says laying her head on my shoulder.

  “She’s right, we are letting fear run our judgement, and I won’t let that happen again. So, when do you want to check out this Wiccan store?” Mom says as she grabs my hand.

  It means a lot to me to know they trust me. Even without knowing everything. I sit there and tell them both about the dreams, him coming to me in Starburn when I didn’t even know it was him. They both sat and listened without interrupting. It’s a relief to tell them. I didn’t know how much tension I was holding on to.

  “When did the dreams start?” Lex asks while looking at the floor. I can tell she is thinking about something.

  “About a week before we left.”

  She nods her head. “You didn’t think that was odd then?”

  I think back at the dreams. The pull was so weak it was barely there. Nothing felt out of place at all, I felt safe. “Not until I woke up with leaves in my hair the day we left. I thought they were nice dreams. I felt a pull, but it was so weak I thought it was just the dream playing tricks on me.”

  Mom squeezes my hand again. “Are they dreams or is he giving you nightmares?”

  I squeeze her hand back trying to comfort her. She has lost so many people she loved and cared for because of him. “They are nice for now. We will see when I’m fully into my powers.”

  She nods. “I will see what our grimoire says about keeping him away from your dreams. Hopefully it will have some answers. I can’t lose you too.” I pull from Lex to reach over and give her a hug. I know she is reliving the nightmares. I don’t know how she was able to stop him or maybe he just quit bothering her all together.

  Chapter 10

  The next day we go sightseeing. The city is still amazing as it was the first time I saw it. I watch as Lex takes it all in. I’m sure I had the same awe struck look the first time as well. “This is so amazing. Look over there! Is that a park in the middle of this city? Look over there that building is a b
illboard.” I couldn’t help but smile at her. Wait until she sees the people with push carts selling food and other goods.

  We walk towards the park. I grabbed a blanket from the hotel, so we could sit and enjoy this time. The plan is to have a picnic then head to the Wiccan store.

  “Hey Chase, what you think so far?” I ask nudging him to get his attention.

  “It’s a lot to take in, but I miss the small-town feel.”

  I hear what he is saying. I on the other hand love it because no one knows me here and even if I did make a few friends not everyone in town will know who I am. I will be able to have more privacy in my life.

  We reach the park, walking around for a few. I know the moment Lex and Mom find the carts.

  “Oh, my goodness! Is that food on a cart?” “That smells so good.” Lex and mom say at the same time.

  I let out a laugh, bringing their attention back to me. “Oh, just wait. There is more than just food around here.” We all head over to see what they’re offering.

  The dark source is here somewhere. I can feel him. I plan on ignoring him, he isn’t going to ruin this day for me.

  We walk up to one cart then to the next seeing what looks good to us. I find one selling huge hot dogs with the works. I head straight to her. I order one and a drink. Turning around, I can see mom went to the person selling philly cheese steaks while Lex and Chase found one selling cheese burgers and fries. I swear she is going to turn into a damn cheese burger. I shake my head at her when I catch her eyes. She just shrugs and smiles. Chase is carrying both of their plates while she carries the drinks. Mom turns to look at them as well and shakes her head.

  “All of this good food and you guys go for a cheese burger?” I say

  “I’m craving a cheese burger. Look at it. I even got bacon and jalapenos on it.” She says with excitement. I think she is going to regret getting the jalapeno’s. She doesn’t like spicy food.