by Chloe Adler
Iphi was sitting in one of the chairs and she jumped up when she saw me, running down the path to greet me, her blond ringlets gleaming in the lantern lights.
"Chrys," she called, throwing herself at me.
I embraced her and after a moment, she pushed back to look at me in surprise. My little bouncy sister, a ball of bright light.
"I'm so happy that Sadie invited us here. I'm so happy that you accepted." She gabbled on, clutching my hand and leading me toward the house. "You want a tour?"
Sadie came outside, holding a fold-out chair and a glass of lemonade, which she handed to me, motioning for me to sit in the other comfy chaise.
"Oh, Chrys." She put her chair down and let me set down the lemonade, then she took both of my hands in hers. "You look amazing. That sweater brings out the warmth in your eyes and it's so . . ."
I blushed, pulling away from her and plopping down on the chaise.
". . . formfitting," she finished.
"Okay, okay, enough," I said, waving her off.
"That's one of Jared's sweaters, isn't it?" Sadie asked as she unfolded her own chair and sat down, crossing her legs.
"Sadie's right, that sweater looks great on you, and your hair . . . did you curl it?"
"If my sisters are going to make a big deal about the way I look . . ."
"Then what?" asked Sadie. "You're going to go back to your boring ways?
"Sadie," said Iphi, "Chrys has never looked boring, she just has a different style than you do. Play nice."
"You're right, I'm sorry. You look amazing, that's what I meant to say."
"You really do," squealed Iphi.
"Living with a fashionista and a hot stripper does have its advantages," I said and they both laughed.
"I'm glad it's working out for you there." Sadie picked up her lemonade and took a sip. "I hoped they would bring you out of your shell. That's okay to say, isn't it, Iph?"
Iphi's Cupid's-bow lips formed a small pout. "Only if it's all right with Chrys."
"It's fine. I . . ." I stopped, searching for the right words. "Growing up with you two as sisters and our overbearing mother, it put me in the shadows."
Iphi's brows knitted together and she reached toward my hand.
"I'm not blaming anyone. It's not anyone's fault but my own. It was easier for me to follow everything Aurelia said than to try and buck her authority. I liked staying out of the limelight and you two liked being in it. You're both extroverts. I'm an introvert."
"Oh, Chrys, you probably never even saw it but you're the one I always looked up to," said Iphi. "You're the artistic one, the only one of us who never seemed terrified of our mother. The only one of us who is getting a master's degree, who has real talent, who has a chance to be someone."
I looked at Sadie. She was actually nodding. Agreeing with Iphi.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I'm a nobody. I'm the kind of person who walks into a room and no one even notices that I'm there."
"You're the one most likely to leave your mark on the world," said Sadie. "Walking into a room full of narcissistic people and stealing the spotlight doesn't make you someone. Iphi's right, you're the only one of us that has a true talent. Your art, it's not just a thing you do. It's who you are and it's amazing."
I coughed into my hand and took a sip of lemonade. "This mutual admiration society stuff makes me uncomfortable but . . . thank you."
They both sat there beaming at me. It felt weird. Should I compliment them too?
"Sadie, you're gorgeous and powerful. You're the most powerful witch alive, more so than even Mom. Nothing holds you back. You see what you want and you take it."
Sadie held her glass of lemonade up to me in a happy toast.
"And Iphi, you're going to be a famous circus performer someday. How many people have the skills you do, to perform on silks, straps, trapeze? And to hold a free-form handstand for like five minutes straight without falling?"
Iphi giggled in appreciation, her chubby cheeks flushing.
"We're all awesome." Sadie laughed. "The Holt sisters. And look at us, all completely different. Not just what we do but how we look." She was right. Me with my brown hair and chestnut eyes. Iphi and her blond ringlets and cerulean-blue eyes. And Sadie with her flaming-red waves and green eyes.
"Maybe we have three different dads," Iphi added. We both flashed her a warning look.
"No way," I said. "Sadie having a different dad is weird enough."
"I wonder if you'll ever get to meet him," Iphi added.
"Changing the subject now," said Sadie, who got up and walked toward the front door. "Come on in, Chrys. Let me show you around."
Chapter Sixteen
Sadie's house was like Sadie herself. Modern furniture sat in stark contrast with beachy knickknacks no doubt chosen by Ryder. Two couches faced one another, the kind that looked like tufted futons on stark metal frames that probably opened up to form beds. They were both made of a crushed blue velvet, probably Ryder's choice of material; velvet was not modern enough for Sadie. Adorning some of the surfaces were bohemian lamps, brass with brightly colored shades, and even a large ceramic Buddha water fountain.
"No television?" I teased, knowing Sadie was on a strict media fast.
She shot me a look.
"Let's go to the kitchen," Sadie said after the quick tour. It was a small house, and she'd only shown me the bathroom and living room. The door to their bedroom was closed and she didn't open it.
"Where's Ryder?" I asked, wondering if he was sequestered there.
"Spending the night with his family on the docks," she responded. "They were so excited to get a night alone with him that they made his favorite dinner, lasagna." She laughed. "I hope he brings some leftovers home."
Their kitchen was minimal. Another glass table and four metal chairs with white cushions decorated the far right side, nestled in an alcove. There was a rustic butcher's block in the center, which made sense as she didn't seem to have a lot of counter space. Everything was painted white and the knobs on the drawers were all gleaming metal; nothing elaborate there.
Sadie walked over to the white-tiled countertop and busied herself pouring us some more lemonade. "So, did you think about what spells we should practice?" she asked me as I sat down in one of the straight-backed chairs.
Iphi and I exchanged looks. Iphi shrugged at me. "It's your choice," she said.
"Yes," I said, biting my lip.
Sadie turned around to look at me quizzically. "Well?"
"I want Carter's brother, Julian, to come over."
Sadie shot a look at Iphi, who didn't say anything. She just blinked her long lashes at us.
"So you want to cast an attraction spell?" Sadie asked me.
"Not a sexual attraction spell," I huffed out. "A luring spell."
"But . . ." Iphi said, "I'm confused, why would you want that? Can't you just call him or something simple like that?"
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I could but . . . I don't want Carter to know. And more importantly, I want to know how he is, if he's adjusted to life after having the curse lifted. If I see him in person, I'll be able to tell." I rubbed my hands down the legs of my pants. "I thought it would be less messy if he came here, seemingly of his own volition." Inwardly I rolled my eyes. At myself. What was wrong with me? Stealing a boy's free will? That's something my mother would do. "Forget it." I stood up so quickly I almost knocked over the chair. "It's a stupid idea."
"No, no. I think it's a good one," Sadie interrupted. "Come on, let's see if we can do it. I've never cast a spell like that before. Iphi, go get the grimoire from my bedroom."
I felt a little pang that Iphi got to see her bedroom and I didn't, and then more of a clenching that Sadie had our family grimoire.
"How did you get the grimoire?" I asked her bluntly.
"It's not ours, it belongs to Ryder's family. They're letting me borrow it for a while, for school."
Sadie was taking magic course
s at our local university, along with Latin. "Is there something we don't know?" I asked as Iphi left the room. "A family does not lend their grimoire to a girlfriend, unless . . ."
Sadie held up her left hand. On her ring finger, a ring sparkled with a blue, multifaceted stone that seemed to reflect all the light in the room.
"Does Iphi know?"
She nodded at me. "She noticed it the other day."
"And Mom?"
She shook her head. "Not yet."
"Wow, I don't know what to say." I got up and crossed over to her. "It's really gorgeous." She held her hand out and I clasped it to look closer. "What kind of stone is that?"
"It's a blue diamond, princess cut."
"Silver or . . ."
"Platinum."
Of course it was platinum. "It looks antique."
"It is, he found it in an antique store in San Francisco."
Of course he had. "It's stunning, Sadie."
"Isn't it?" squealed Iphi, returning to the kitchen holding a very thick, very old book. Placing the book on the butcher's block, she rushed over to us. "I'm so excited for you. Aren't you excited for her?"
"I am kind of speechless right now. It seems really fast."
"When it's right you know it," Sadie said as she pulled her hand away. If Iphi hadn't been there, she might have flipped me off then.
"Did you set a date yet?" Why couldn't I just be happy for her?
"They want to get married on Beltane." Iphi couldn't seem to contain her excitement.
Surely she didn't mean in six months. "This Beltane?"
"Yep." Sadie turned away from me and walked to the grimoire. Opening it, she flipped through the ancient pages. "Why wait? We both know what we want. Come here and look at this spell," Sadie said.
I moved behind her, peering over her shoulder. The advantage of having a few extra inches.
"Binding someone to you?" I read aloud. "No, that's not it. But wait a minute." I ran my finger down the page to see how similar this one was to the one I had cast in Julian's room, binding him to me. I'd never looked at a similar spell in another family's grimoire before. The words were the same but the herbs were different and when I'd done it, I hadn't had any herbs. Family spells must be like recipes, each one a different variation.
"Ready?" Sadie asked me when I lifted my finger and I nodded at her. She turned the page, reading aloud, " 'Bringing someone to you.' "
"Yes," I confirmed, stepping back.
"All right, let's get started. Iphi, grab the herbs from the cabinet as I call them out."
Iphi opened the tall cabinet next to Sadie's stainless steel refrigerator. Countless herbs filled small, medium and large mason jars, all labeled, all alphabetical.
"Impressive," I said.
Sadie offered me a smile. "Thank you, it took an entire week of work."
"I helped," added Iphi. Another twinge.
"Well, you both did an incredible job," I said, my words stilted.
Iphi's curls bounced as she turned toward me. "We would have asked you to help too, but you were busy moving into Casa Mañana and we wanted to be respectful of your transition."
"Thanks for the explanation," I said, still stilted. Iphi closed the cupboard door and I knew she was going to offer me some sympathy so I held up my hand. "Really, it's fine, let's continue. Please." It wasn't.
Opening the door again, she stood poised, waiting for Sadie.
"Belladonna," she called out.
Iphi scanned the jars and pulled the correct one down, handing it to me. I placed it on the counter.
"Can you grab the mortar and pestle from the top of the fridge?" Sadie asked me. I was the tallest, after all.
By the time we'd finished preparing the circle, casting the spell and opening the circle, it was past midnight.
"It's too late now," I complained. "I need to get home and how will I know if Julian is compelled to come here or to my new house?"
"Julian is bound to go wherever you are." Sadie ran her fingers through her thick hair while we sat in the living room, enjoying cups of sage tea. "But I'd feel better if you slept here tonight so I can help if he gets weird."
"I agree," said Iphi. "I'll stay too. It's too late to go back home. I might wake Mom and you know how disagreeable she gets."
"When isn't she disagreeable?" Sadie asked, earning her a warning glance from Iphi. "Just saying, that's my observation," Sadie added, shrugging. "Can you help make the beds out here?"
Iphi got off the couch she was sitting on and pulled a little handle on the side. It slid open to a bed. Just as I'd thought. Following her lead, I did the same to the one Sadie and I were on.
"I'll go get some sheets." Iphi left the room and I heard her rummaging in the hall closet.
"You don't have to do this," I said to Sadie.
She put her hand on my shoulder. "I want to." She turned toward the hall door. "Bring some warmer blankets too, Iph, there's supposed to be another storm coming in tonight."
A few hours later, a scraping noise woke me, coming from inside the house. Sitting upright, slightly panicked, I yanked the string on the lamp beside me, illuminating the room.
Julian was standing at the foot of my couch-bed in his nightshirt, completely soaked. His hair was plastered to the side of his face as a puddle formed at his feet. He looked weary, confused, and was shivering.
"Julian?"
"Chrys, how did I get here?"
"You don't remember?"
"No. One second I was sleeping and the next . . . standing here. What's going on?"
I patted the bed next to me and looked over at the other couch. Iphi lay there, fast asleep. I envied her, always a deep sleeper. I threw my covers over him after he sat down next to me, rubbing his arms, trying to warm his fragile frame.
"We're bound to each other. You could have just phoned." Wise beyond his years.
"I didn't want Carter to know you were here."
"And I don't have to tell him, even if you summon me the old-fashioned way." He lifted one palm up, halting me. I stopped rubbing his arms and let the now-wet blanket hang there, covering him. "You're still upset?"
"Wouldn't you be?"
Julian looked away, then back at me. "Probably, but you saved my life, I'm completely indebted to you. I'd love to have a vampire slave." His grin covered his entire face. Pearly whites and fangs. The kid was adorable, I had to give him that.
His sandy-blond hair was parted on the side, straight and clean. It had been cut short since his transition back and it suited him. Ruddy cheeks and dark, soulful eyes blinked at me beneath lustrous lashes. Someone was feeling better.
"So, why am I here?"
"I wanted to ask you about Carter, to know his true intentions. When you were . . ." I looked away, not wanting to bring up the painful moment where I'd almost been his dinner.
"It's all right, whatever you have to say, I'm a big boy." Grinning again, he said, "I may look nine but I'm almost eleven." He puffed out his chest and raised his chin.
The boy was growing on me and not like an unwanted nose wart. "When you were about to take my life and Carter came in . . ." I bit my lip. "Why did he stop you?"
"Because he didn't want me to kill you." The compassion in those eyes was disarming.
I tipped my head down, a curt nod. "Why would he care?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.
Julian looked confused. "Huh? Because he cares about you of course."
I leaned forward with my hands on my knees. "Julian, has he said anything to you? About me?"
"Oh, you care about him too." He giggled, a little boy's laughter, heartwarming and infuriating at the same time.
"No, I--" I argued but the look he gave me told me he wasn't buying it, I was only lying to myself. "Well?" I asked to reclaim the upper hand.
"You want to know if he likes you?"
"I want to know if he's said anything about me."
"He doesn't talk to me much about his feelings," Julian offered, ho
lding up his hands. "But he has been acting really weird since you left."
"Weird how?"
"Not coming out of his room, hardly any interaction with me or Gramps."
That could be anything, I reasoned. Guilt. Devising a new creepy plan. "What about work?"
"He called in sick."
I stood up and walked toward the kitchen. A white flash of lightning split the night outside the window, followed by a roll of thunder. My heart sped up. Why did lightning and thunder suddenly make me so nervous?
Julian sniffed the air. Another flash illuminated a form, thunder rolling almost instantly later. Someone was watching the house?
"Don't," said Julian as I opened the door. He was next to me in a heartbeat.
Rain pelted and a frigid wind blew off the bay and into the house. I stepped outside and shut the door behind us.
"What is it?" I asked Julian.
"A vampire," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Where?"
"There." He pointed to the large madrone that stood just next to Sadie's living room window. From the porch, everything looked dark. My eyes weren't as strong as his. A rush of air brushed the thin silk nightgown Sadie had loaned me. I shivered. Julian was no longer standing next to me.
"Julian," I whispered, "where are you?"
In another flash he was back, holding the offending vampire. Both of them were soaked from the rain.
"Carter?" At least he had the decency to look ashamed, his head bowed, not meeting my eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Carter shrugged off Julian's hand and looked at him. "I could ask you the same question, Julian. Why are you stalking my girl?"
"Your girl?" My hands found my hips in indignation. "First of all, mister--" I tapped his hard pecs with a finger. Distracting. I returned my hand to my hip. "I am not your girl. And second, Julian is my friend."
"I am?" Julian said, looking back and forth between us.
"Yes, you are."
"But--" Carter started.
"And what Julian is doing here is none of your business. He was invited. You were not."