The Grove

by J. R. King

  “Hurry,” Aria whispered. She shoved him into the room, turning the metal lock behind them. She pressed her ear to the door then, palms shaking against the wood as she held her breath. The clack of heels stopped on the other side, and she could hear her mother’s caregiver searching the room with her eyes. The seconds started to feel like hours, and then she finally heard the telltale signs of her stalking away.

  “We can’t stay long,” she said. She turned to look at Rome. His eyes were comically large.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” he said. “Has your home always been this dangerous?” He slipped into a mocking voice, muttering, “Aria, don’t play near your father’s office, you might get eaten!” He threw his hands out emphatically. “Seriously, what the heck?”

  Ariahna smiled at him patiently, skipping over his question. “How did you figure out the answer? Not many people I know would be able to pull out a quote by William G.T. Shedd.”

  Rome gave her a half shrug. “I read a lot, I guess.”

  “Who knew a book could save someone’s life?”

  Rome hesitated near the entrance. “Would they have seriously eaten us?”

  The look on his face told her it would be better if she didn’t answer. Ariahna walked over to her father’s desk, opening a drawer and searching through his things. She doubted he’d keep the wand in his desk, but maybe there would be some kind of clue tucked away in there.

  Rome glanced at the fireplace behind her, following the chimney up to the second floor with his eyes. There seemed to be a library up above, reachable by two curved staircases.

  “Why go to all the trouble to password protect your office if the only thing in it is a bunch of books? I expected something more… I don’t know, forbidden?”

  “A lot of these books are on forbidden subjects. Many of them are banned, in fact. Moreover, I think he has some even darker tomes hidden away somewhere in here. I’ve seen him coming and going with books that are not on these shelves.”

  “Like books on nahuals?” Rome said.

  “Books on nahuals are a dime a dozen, and they’re all speculation.” She rifled through some of the papers in his desk. “Nothing you can find would have anything useful in them.”

  Rome watched her pause in her search. “I just want you to tell me,” he said. “I know I already know, but you’ve never actually said it aloud. Maybe you’d find it freeing?”

  Aria bit her lip, staring at the space of floor between them. “I’m a nahual.” She shrugged, crossing her arms self-consciously.

  Rome closed the distance. “I want you to know you’re not alone anymore, that you can tell me anything.” His hand cupped the side of her face, bringing her eyes up to meet his. “When I told you that I loved you it was more than a feeling. It was a commitment, a promise of protection and understanding.”

  She touched the back of his hand, smiling at him warmly. “I can’t imagine having never known you,” she said.

  “When we get back, do you want to spend the rest of the night together? Nothing curse related, just… us?”

  Ariahna nodded. She took Rome’s hand and pulled him away from the desk. “Let’s keep looking,” she said.

  Rome pressed the tip of his boot against the floorboards. “So do you think he has some secret compartment where he hides things?” he asked.

  “I’m almost positive he does. This house has a lot of secrets.”

  As they were passing by the hearth, Rome was suddenly overwhelmed by a scent he hadn’t smelt in years. It was faint, but unmistakable. “I think something’s behind this,” he said.

  Ariahna frowned at the fireplace. “How do you know?”

  “It’s going to sound strange, but I can smell my mother’s perfume. This has to open somehow.” He ran his hands along the mantle, searching for some kind of trigger.

  “Recludo,” Aria said.

  The stone trembled, shaking loose dust and soot.

  “What’s that supposed to do?”

  “It’s an incantation. It’s supposed to open or unlock things.”

  “It definitely seems like this can move,” he said. “Is there some sort of spell that could show us what we’re missing?”

  Ariahna thought about it. “There is a spell that’s used to reveal what’s hidden…”

  “No harm in trying,” he said.

  She touched the stone, letting her eyes fall over the cracked surface of the marble. “Detego,” she said strongly. Her eyes widened when the center of the mantle collapsed into a small, pyramid-shaped concave. “It’s a key,” she said, turning and stalking over to her father’s desk. She picked up a paperweight that was identical to the indent. “I used to play with this all the time when I was little. I almost broke it once, and I remember my father was furious.” She fit the pyramid into the mantle, pressing it in until it was flush with the stone. It snapped into place and the back of the fireplace receded, slipping to the side.

  The look they shared was one of awe.

  Ariahna bent her knees, walking through the fireplace and into a darkened room. Yellow light sprung up from her palm, illuminating the space and the objects within. There was a collection of tattered books, some rather peculiar artifacts, and a few boxes of memorabilia scattered around. Along the far wall in a display case rested the old carved box that housed their family wand. She smiled at it, turning to look back at Rome as he ducked inside. “It’s here,” she said.

  Rome knew he should head straight for the wand, but he didn’t. He followed the scent to a few boxes in the corner. He had to know what was inside. He pealed back the cardboard as the flickering light from Ariahna’s hand grew closer. Nestled inside was a stack of old papers. It didn’t take him long to figure out that they were love letters.

  “I have to admit,” he said, “it’s a little discouraging knowing that we’re following in the footsteps of everyone who came before us.” Rome leaned back against the wall, staring down at the soft cursive. “And it begs the question, if it was as simple as destroying the wands, why wouldn’t someone have figured that out before now?”

  “It could be a matter of greed,” she said. “Something as powerful as this… it would be hard to destroy it willingly.”

  “Power or love?” he replied. “I don’t know about you, but that seems like an easy choice to me.”

  “Most things seem easy when all you’re doing is talking about them. Making the choice, I’d imagine, is much harder.”

  Rome stared at her quietly, watching her smile back.

  “I know what choice I’m making,” she said. “It’s not even a contest for me. I just meant—maybe it’s not so easy for some.”

  She glanced down at their hands as she threaded their fingers together. Her thoughts were on their parents; Rome’s mother, her father. The wand was still in one piece, the curse still upon them, and Donna… Her father had chosen an heirloom over the woman he’d apparently loved. Now all he had left of her was a box of memories hidden away in a dusty little room. Ariahna gazed at Rome genuinely. “I’d never place anything above the value of your life.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Though Endings Are Near

  Papers fluttered down like feathers from the ceiling, falling delicately around Ariahna’s room. The letters they had taken were now scattered, and the wand was rolling noisily across the hardwood floor. Rome scooted back against the side of her bed, slowly regaining the sense of where he was. If not for the mess caused by their arrival, her room would have been immaculate. It was the first time he’d seen any of the dorm room bookshelves actually filled with books.

  “Are you okay?” Aria asked.

  Rome nodded. “Yeah.” He watched her reach for the wand. “I guess it’s good that thing’s pretty durable.”

  Ariahna smiled. “We’re trying to destroy it, remember?”

  Rome swept up one of the pages resting beside him. The dated words were all that remained of those moments; comprised mostly of long forgotten promises and sec
ret rendezvous. He placed the letter on her nightstand, eyes catching on the framed family photo. “Where do you think it all went wrong?”

  Ariahna sighed quietly, setting the wand between them. “Who’s to say any of it was ever right? The Artisan must have hated our families immensely to pick such horrible fates for us. Without knowing everything that went on… I don’t know. Maybe we deserved it. I can admit that my family has done some questionable things. Maybe we really do have bad blood.”

  Rome pulled his knees up to his chest, holding them there. “Blaming yourself won’t help,” he said. “But you were right before. There is a lot we don’t know about one another.” He wondered briefly how this conversation had been so easy with Kaleb. “There are things I don’t want to tell you. And others I’m surprised you haven’t asked about yet.”

  “You mean your record,” she said. “I’ve never really explained my history to you, how can I expect for you to explain yours to me?” Ariahna smiled at him. “We’re both flawed. I’m not foolish enough not to know that. But what’s past is past. And I suppose I didn’t think I had a right to ask.”

  “You always have a right to ask. It’s just that people also have the right not to answer,” he said. “And I know, all of this happened so fast. It makes it difficult to see where the lines have been drawn.”

  Ariahna turned towards him, leaning into the side of the mattress. “So maybe we should start from the beginning.” She held out her hand, resisting the urge to smile. “Hello,” she said. “I’m Ariahna. It’s nice to meet you.” She laughed when he accepted it, shaking her hand firmly. “Tell me something about yourself.”

  Rome smiled back at her, sparing Ariahna the thought that had sprung to mind. What happens when this is all over? He wasn’t sure it was possible to fear something more than death, but the thought of losing the only person that made him feel alive… that truly terrified him. Who knew where they’d be without the curse. With the wand nestled between them, Rome realized he might find out sooner than he’d like.

  “Honestly,” he said, “I don’t know who I am yet. And I’ve wondered, endlessly. All I really know is that the past determines who I am at present. Whether I like it or not. What I can’t figure out is if who I am has to dictate who I can become.” Rome took a breath. “There’s already so much about the world that I never could have dreamed possible, though. I suppose there’s hope in that.”

  “Who do you want to be?” she asked.

  “I think all I really want is to be happy,” he said, “and to never lose that happiness. At that point I don’t even think the details matter.”

  Ariahna leaned into Rome’s side, resting her head on his shoulder. “You make it sound simple,” she said. “If only everything were that easy.” She rose after a beat, moving slowly across the room to recover the scattered papers. “Maybe we should read these.”

  Rome stood and perched on the edge of her bed, nodding in agreement. “Before we do, there is something I think you should know. I don’t know if it’s because of what I am or not, but I can feel other people’s emotions. Like an empath.”

  She looked back at him pensively. “Is that something you’ve always been able to do? Can you read anyone?”

  “Maybe. It usually requires a certain… proximity.”

  “What about Kaleb?”

  Rome nodded as he picked up one of the letters. “He’s easy enough to read. Just don’t tell him I said that.”

  “Why are you telling me now?” she said.

  “Because I’ve never been affected like I was tonight.” Rome held her gaze. “You asked me to save my questions for later, so I’m asking now… What happened to your mother?”

  Ariahna sank onto the bed, leaving the stack of letters on her comforter. She gazed bleary eyed at the picture of her mother’s smiling face, catching her own in the reflection of the glass. “I’m not really sure. She just woke up one day and she wasn’t herself anymore.” Aria exhaled shakily. “…I miss her.”

  “Most people don’t have to live with that kind of pain,” he said. “Not at our age.” Rome stared down at his hands, finding it difficult to speak. “I wish I could take it away.”

  “I just want her back,” she said quietly. “The doctor thinks it isn’t possible; my father does too. I’m not ready to give up.”

  “Then don’t,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to.”

  Ariahna sniffled, picking up one of her father’s letters distractedly. She blinked down at the neat handwriting, trying to read the words. And when she’d finished, she picked up another, and then another, making a pile of memories near her feet. Why she was reading them, she couldn’t say. Pouring over words of love and devotion from her father to another woman wasn’t exactly uplifting. Neither was reading the words of a couple cursed as they were now cursed. This was bound to be them. Rome was inevitably going to be gone, and all she’d have left was regret. She’d been telling herself that they were different, that they could make it. But they were doing the exact same thing so many others before them had. The next note caught her attention, and she found herself reading it quietly aloud:

  “Richard,

  I know you’re upset, but I need to see you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Joseph. It was his idea to keep us a secret, not mine. He thought it would only drive a wedge between you two, and it seems he was right. Joseph is a good man. I don’t have to tell you that. He’s been more of a brother to you than a friend all these years. Please forgive us for keeping this from you. I know I don’t have a right to ask this of you still, but now that we know how to break the curse, I’m begging you to at least consider it. I’ve always loved you, and I always will. Joseph is married now, and I can’t carry on like that with a married man. I know he resents me a little for the decision, but he’s a husband now, and soon to be a father. Family obligations; I know you understand them better than most. I miss you, Richard. I miss us. I hear you’re engaged. She is one lucky woman. I’m not asking you to turn your back on the relationship you’re building, but I am asking you not to forget about the one we cultivated together.

  Forever Yours,

  Donna”

  “When was that dated?” Rome asked.

  Ariahna started searching carefully through the remaining letters, looking for any dated before or after when that one had been sent. If they knew how to break the curse, surely it had to be there. She tossed the irrelevant pieces onto the floor, wondering if maybe they’d missed one in their haste to leave. “Here,” she said, turning so he could read it with her.

  “My Dearest Donna,

  You know I would never deny your request merely out of spite. I’m not so cold as to kill a woman because she left me for another man. Still, I cannot do what you ask. My magic is my life. Without it I’m as meaningless as a sun without a sky. And as for my family’s wand, if I were to return it to the yew it might be destroyed. You’re asking me to either live a life of anonymity, of powerlessness, or quite possibly to surrender my life entirely. Giving my magic to the tree could very well kill me. You had to have known that before you asked. I need more time to think on this, but for now, I’ll have to reply with a resolute no. We’ve been fine all these years. No serious harm has befallen you. I’m beginning to believe this was all just an elaborate hoax; a poor joke inflicted by a tired, lonely soul. I wish the best for you, but I think we should cease contact from this point on. I’m sure you understand.

  Richard”

  Aria set the letter on her knees, gazing anxiously at the page. “We wanted answers,” she said. “I guess now we know what has to be done. I have to give up my magic…”

  “No,” he said. “We’d only be trading one life for another. There’s no solution in that. I say we destroy it, like we intended to.”

  “There’s no guarantee that breaking the wand would break the curse, Rome. And even if it could, it’s still a question of if we’d even be able to break it at all. But this… this is what he wants. This is why we were cursed
in the first place, and the price we have to pay for it to end. Not just for you and me, but for our families. For our future, whether we’re together or not.”

  “These letters were written before we were even born. My mother lived for years after that. There’s no reason for us to rush.” He could see that stubborn, fearful look in her eyes. “I swear, if you go jumping in front of a bus for me… I won’t let you.”

  Ariahna moved towards her desk, leaning against the back of the chair. “Nobody’s doing anything tonight. We got what we came for. At least now we have options.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call those options,” he said.

  A soft scrape sounded from the bottom of the door as a note was slipped underneath. Rome picked up the piece of paper, regarding her curiously before opening the door.

  The hall was empty.

  “What does it say?” she asked.

  “I know about the curse and I want to help. Meet me in the Grove tomorrow at midnight.”

  She looked at him in bewilderment.

  “The Grove?” Ariahna said. “You don’t think…?”

  “That maybe that’s where we were before? I’d kind of wondered about that. It just sounded too crazy to suggest. Especially since something led us there.”

  Ariahna stared at the handwriting. “What do you think we should do? For all we know this could be a trap.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “I still say we see it through.”

  “I guess we’ve got nothing to lose.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The Past Reappears

  Logan leaned against the back of the bleachers, pressing his shoulders into the metal. It was an uneventful morning, and he and his following of idiots were all ditching out on class and shooting the shit. But as his eyes swept around the circle, he felt as bored as if he were stuck sitting through one of Mrs. Brill’s lectures. Trent pressed close to his side, eyeing the envelope he was smacking against his palm like an empty pack of cigarettes. Logan sighed. “This is so tired. Could you two maybe stop making out for ten seconds?”