Raj stepped closer, certain he’d caught Gray flinch. “Why do you look so worried, Gray? I haven’t forgotten our arrangement.” Raj smirked at his use of the word as though referring to something untoward. He circled Gray and she stood rooted in place of her own accord. Raj glanced at her lips. He remembered them on his ear. What would it take to get them on his mouth, her tongue against his tongue? Raj took a step back. “Anyway, I won’t be needing magic to get your shirt off.”
The fear left Gray’s face as she put a free hand on her hip. “And what does that mean?”
Raj pulled out his Zippo and flicked it open. “We’d make a powerful couple, you and me. We’ve got a lot in common. Think about it.” Raj snapped the lighter shut. He moved his thumb to flick it open again then stopped when he saw the way Gray stared at him. The expression was hard to make out. Then it changed.
“You really want the invisibility spell that bad? Well, forget it. I’m not giving it to you and I wouldn’t go out with you if you were the last person on Earth.”
Raj grinned. This wasn’t rejection—just a bit of foreplay between a witch and a warlock. “That would be nice. You, me, and the world to ourselves.”
Gray loosened her grip on her pack and let it dangle from her fingers next to her knees. “Sounds like my idea of hell.”
“At least in hell we could be wicked.”
“You’re wicked enough already.”
Their eyes locked. Raj felt himself drawn to Gray by an invisible force. He’d never wanted to kiss a girl so badly. Maybe if he imagined her resolve melting away, it’d happen. But he didn’t have any magical abilities at the moment. Foolishly, Raj had let down his guard and allowed himself to fall under the spell of a girl—the kind of spell any normal was in danger of tripping headfirst into.
It was as though one of his own spells had backfired and frozen him on the spot, gawking at Gray like some kind of pathetic fool.
She shook her head and huffed before walking away, leaving Raj staring after her long after she’d disappeared.
Chapter Four
“Hello? Anybody home?” Gray called into the kitchen after finding the living room deserted. She leaned into the stairs. “Char? Mom?”
Just as her heart started an uneasy drumming inside her chest, Gray heard her mom call out, “Up here, hon.”
Gray heard laughter and followed it straight into her mother’s bedroom. Charlene was wearing a dress and had done her hair and makeup. She looked downright perky.
“What’s going on?” Gray asked.
Charlene’s face dropped for a fraction of a second. It was so quick Gray couldn’t be sure that she hadn’t imagined it. Her mom, on the other hand, grinned from ear to ear. “Your sister and I have just been planning Operation Get Blake Back.”
Gray’s mouth dropped. “Operation what?”
“Get Blake Back,” Charlene enunciated, as though Gray were hearing impaired.
“Yeah, I caught that and again, what?”
“All that boy needs is to see your sister’s pretty face and it won’t take him long to realize what he’s missing,” Mom said. “So how about the three of us have a girls’ night out at the mall and do a bit of shopping, followed by dinner and a movie?”
Gray started to protest then stopped herself. Was she really going to argue against the mall and a movie?
She grinned. “Let’s do it.”
“That’s the spirit! When should we go?”
Charlene gave Gray a once-over. “I’m ready now, but maybe Lee wants to change.”
Gray looked down at her shorts and tights. Cute, but not Barbie-cute; urban hip, in her estimation. Charlene must have read her hesitation as something else.
“Here, let me help you.” Charlene snapped her fingers and like that Gray was wearing the pastel dress she’d worn to their cousin Myra’s graduation.
Speaking of violations . . .
“Charlene, you know I hate it when you do that!”
Charlene blew on her fingernails. They’d been painted pink—if Charlene had indeed taken the time to paint them herself.
“I can dress myself. Besides, I’d never choose this.”
Charlene looked up. “But you look so cute in that dress. You really ought to rethink your wardrobe.”
“Mom!”
Their mother moved to the door. “I don’t know about you girls, but I’m ready to go shopping.”
“I’m not leaving in this dress,” Gray said, heading toward her bedroom.
“Fine, if you’re going to be pouty.” Charlene snapped her fingers again and Gray’s original outfit appeared.
Charlene was lucky she’d just gotten her heart broken; otherwise, Gray might’ve paid her sister a midnight visit, shoestring in hand. If only Charlene’s magical advances were as easy to put the kibosh on as Raj McKenna’s. Raj. The thought of him made Gray shudder. She put a hand on her hip. “Guess I’m ready to go then. We should hustle since Char’s so bored she has nothing better to do than play dress-up.”
Charlene’s eyes narrowed and she raised her fingers like she might snap again, but was interrupted by their mother’s loud clap. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”
“I call front seat,” Charlene said.
It was then Gray wished she could snap her own fingers or nod her head like Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie and teleport herself into the front seat of the Volkswagen Bug. She’d been working on the spell for months. Few witches could transport, but then again, few could make themselves invisible and that’s what had given Gray the gumption to try.
Invisibility had come unexpectedly, but thank god it did. Gray was driving home alone after a late-night movie fest with Thea and had gotten a flat. The first thing she’d done was call her mom using her cell phone; second, she swore to herself she’d ask Ryan’s dad to show her how to change a tire; and third, she noted the hooligans lurking about while her mother was still a good fifteen minutes away. Gray had imagined herself invisible to calm her mind, working out all the details of the transformation process and then, somehow, it had happened. She’d known because she saw her arms disappear. Immediately she’d looked in the rearview mirror. No reflection.
It’d been an amazing moment. But then her mom had pulled up and started to panic when she didn’t see Gray so she’d filled herself in quickly as her mom hurried back to her own car.
Once they were safely home, Gray tried to demonstrate the spell, but nothing happened. Her mom had given her an encouraging look.
“I was invisible, Mom. I swear.”
Her mom had smiled. “I believe you, sweetie. Our abilities are like that sometimes. They respond to our commands when we most need them—like in the case of tonight. You put yourself under magical protection.”
Maybe it had been stress that allowed her to hide in plain sight. But Gray hadn’t been stressed when she turned invisible to sneak into Mrs. Pritchett’s class.
Either way, it didn’t look good for Gray that her twin could keep up with their peers at Gathering on Sundays while Gray floundered, literally, to so much as float—a spell even the preteens had mastered.
Gray suppressed a sigh. She took the seat behind her mother. Think of all the time it’d save her if she could be dressed with the snap of a finger. In her dreams. It wasn’t like Charlene ever tried to help her develop her powers. At least her sister couldn’t create new clothes. Then Gray really would have to hate her. Charlene might be able to make outfits appear on her body, but only articles she already owned. Thus, the trip to the mall.
In the parking lot, Charlene vacated the passenger’s seat before Gray or her mom had a chance to open their car door. Her sister led the way into the mall and began pawing through clothes in the shop by the entrance.
“How was your day?” Mom asked as they followed Charlene in.
“Fine.” Gray touched a green sweater hanging in front of her. Soft.
“Anything interesting happen today?”
Immediately Raj McKe
nna popped into Gray’s head. “Nope,” she said, turning away from the sweater. “What about you?”
“Not really. Marc and I went out for lunch.”
Their mother was kinda sorta dating Ryan’s dad, Mr. Phillips. Her mom had the opposite rule as Gray; she only dated warlocks. She said she’d dated a normal once before and she couldn’t be herself with him.
Thankfully, their mother hadn’t dated much in the five years since their father’s death. Gray had a feeling she was waiting till she and Char graduated from high school.
“What about boys?”
“Boys?” Gray repeated. Why was her mom suddenly asking her about boys?
“Got any new crushes this semester? I haven’t heard you mention a boy’s name since Hart Hensley.”
Yeah, since he started going out with Trish Roberts.
“Boys are overrated.”
Her mother chuckled and held out a multicolored scarf. “This looks like something you’d wear.”
As Gray reached out to take it, Charlene squealed and held up a dusty-rose miniskirt with several tiers of ruffles. “This is so cute!” she called across the store.
Their mom smiled, set the scarf down, and started toward Charlene. “Try it on.”
“I will, but first I need to find a top.” Charlene scurried around the shop, holding the skirt against various blouses and sweaters.
“How about this?” Mom asked, holding up a gray turtleneck.
Charlene made a face. She yanked a sleeveless beige top that sagged at the neckline from a hanging rack. “I like this one.” Gray and her mom followed her to the dressing room.
It should have taken Charlene a second to snap into the skirt, not several minutes. It felt as though she was making them wait on purpose.
Then finally, the dressing room door flew open and Charlene stepped out, showing more skin than cloth. Gray had to admit she looked good.
“Oh, Char,” Mom said, a grin brightening her entire face. “You’ll have Blake eating out of your hand before the week is out.”
Charlene’s smile nearly reached her ears. The hem of her skirt twirled as she spun around and returned to the dressing room.
Gray turned to her mom and whispered, “Don’t tell me you’re encouraging this?”
“I have to keep her distracted somehow.”
They followed Charlene into a shoe shop, followed by intimates. Gray started looking through the panty tables for fun designs before gravitating toward the wall of hanging bras. A ruby-red push-up bra with black lace edging caught her eye. She found one in a B-cup and held it out in front of her.
“Whatcha got there, Gray?”
Gray attempted to obscure the bra from her sister by turning her body, but Charlene was already grabbing herself a matching bra off the wall. “Good pick, sis.”
“You know I don’t like wearing the same things.”
“Oh, please, like anyone would ever know.” Charlene nudged Gray with her elbow. “Hey, Lee. Wanna flash the guys at their next game?”
Gray rolled her eyes. “Is that part of Operation Get Blake Back?”
Charlene chewed on her lip. “Perhaps.”
Gray studied her sister’s face. For a brief moment she imagined them as a team: dressing alike, teasing the boys, laughing so hard they cried. Why couldn’t they be those kind of twins?
“Fine,” Gray said. “Get the same bra—just don’t mix it up with mine.”
Charlene bounced in place. “Great! Now let’s grab ourselves the matching panties. Size extra small,” she added in a jokey voice.
Gray laughed. As they left the shop with their latest purchase, Charlene linked arms with Gray. Bonding over bras. Sometimes it was the most unexpected things.
After dumping their bags in the trunk of the car and nabbing a bite, they headed for the cinema.
“We should watch a romantic comedy—make sure we’re putting the right kind of energy into the air,” Mom said.
“Or we could see the latest slasher,” Gray suggested. “Nothing says Valentine’s like a gore-fest.”
Mom laughed.
Charlene’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t like scary movies.”
No, of course not. What Charlene did like was stupid comedies. At least it was good to hear her laughing again. By the time they were turning in for bed, Gray could almost swear the whole "Blake affair" had never happened. Charlene seemed like her usual self, which was better than an unhappy Charlene.
Before bed, Gray tried on the new bra in front of her mirror. Sexy was never a word she’d associated with herself, but when she saw the way the bra lifted her bust she did a double take and stared at her reflection way too long, like a boy gaping at a photo in Maxim magazine.
Gray tossed the bra into her hamper and pulled a T-shirt over her head before turning in for the night.
Weird dreams were Gray’s specialty, but tonight the word she’d have chosen for them was “disturbing.” Raj was in one, standing in her room. And Gray—god—was wearing the new bra and a pair of tight blue jeans.
“I like it,” Raj said, looking her over.
The worst part was Gray liked that he liked it.
Did a person’s sleeping lips form a grin when they smiled in their dreams? Gray should have been glowering, not grinning like an idiot. Raj took her smile as an invitation to approach the bed.
Gray had gone from standing to lying under the covers. Raj leaned over her. His breath on her face felt way too close and way too real.
Gray woke up with a jerk. Charlene was sitting on her bed looking into the dark chamber thoughtfully. “Lee, I’ve figured it out.”
It took a moment for Gray to calm her racing heart and manage words. She sat up. “Figured what out?”
“How to get Blake back.”
This was the reason Charlene had nearly given her a heart attack? Well, of course, ’cause what was more important than Blake Foster?
“Put on a new dress and extra makeup?” Gray asked hopefully.
Charlene continued as though Gray had never spoken. “I’ve been holding out on Blake, thinking he’d enjoy the challenge. But everyone needs gratification, Lee. Everyone. I mean, think of the most popular celebrities. They put out.”
Now Gray was fully awake. “So, you’re a celebrity in this scenario?”
“Exactly,” Charlene said, missing her sarcasm. “I’m one of the most popular girls at school. In terms of McKinley High, I’m on the A-list. And what do A-list celebrities do?”
“Sing? Act?”
“They party, Lee. They sleep around. It’s all about notoriety. That’s what puts them in the spotlight. It’s what makes them get noticed and talked about.”
“So you want everyone talking about how much you get around?”
Charlene grinned and eased herself off the bed. “Sleep tight, Lee.”
Gray watched Charlene leave before muttering, “You, too, Britney.”
She punched her pillow and lay on her side, then on her stomach, then on her back, and finally back on her side.
Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep, she chanted in her head at the same time Raj’s voice repeated, I like it. I like it. I like it.
* * *
At one time, Gray had been the most gifted student in the Kent Chapter Coven. Until the day she’d messed up a spell.
Her cheeks heated at the memory. Like a bad dream—the one where you stood naked in front of everyone—but Gray’s ultimate humiliation hadn’t been a dream.
She was in sixth grade, the coven’s star pupil. After group lecture she’d followed the kids down to the basement as she’d done every Sunday afternoon since she could remember.
Their peer leader had them lay out a second outfit on the long table and work on changing their clothes without touching the garments.
Sure, Gray had become somewhat cocky as only a rising star can be. Magic fascinated her, and she allotted all her free hours to perfecting her spells and trying new ones. Like any other talent or ability, magic took practi
ce. Just because one was a witch didn’t mean she could perform the same level of magic as her peers. She had to work for it.
Gray could already change in an instant. She’d practiced that one for weeks in her bedroom, never tiring of the elation when the new outfit materialized over her body. So she’d lifted her chin and snapped her fingers. And that’s when it happened.
The clothes she’d worn were successfully removed, but her second outfit hadn’t moved from the table. Except for her cotton underpants and bra, she stood stark naked.
Gray could still hear the laughter as it erupted. Like the hyenas in Mrs. Pritchett’s class Friday afternoon. She almost felt sorry for the woman, no matter how mean she was. Raj McKenna was trouble and acted out of spite and self-indulgence. Just like Charlene.
Thank goodness he’d been absent from Gathering the day Gray exposed herself. He probably would have liked that. Raj was a relatively quiet boy back then. Dare she say it? Well-behaved. He always partnered with Shay Baxter and glared at anyone who giggled and whispered about the two of them being secretly in love. Nothing had come of it. They’d been thick as thieves until Raj quit attending and Max Curry made an advance on Shay. Shay Baxter, consequently, had taken Gray’s place as the most gifted student of the 42nd Coven, Kent Chapter.
Gray couldn’t help hating her just a little and Charlene had been happy to join in. Worse than losing her spot at the top, Gray hadn’t been able to perform magic without freezing up after streaking in front of her peers.
Raj McKenna clearly respected power. That’s what he really wanted from Gray—to strip her of her most prized spell and make it his own. Let’s how fast he’d ditch her once he’d gotten what he wanted.
Gray pushed her bowl of oatmeal aside and stared across the dining table at her mother. It’d been just the two of them for breakfast the past few days.
“Can I stay home, too?” Gray asked.
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