by Wendy Knight
She smiled demurely. “I think I’ll be okay. Thanks, though.” She flipped her beaker over in her hand and easily measured out every ingredient. While Quin made calculations in his notepad and checked his numbers against the formula in his chemistry book, she did it all—
In her head.
Mr. Zornes hovered nearby nervously, no doubt waiting for her to explode something. But as she moved through the formulas one after another, he came closer, eyes wide, to watch. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
She didn’t look up. “I like chemistry.”
Quin rolled his eyes.
“Wow, Quin. I think you might have a little competition here,” Mr. Zornes said, patting Quin on the back as he walked past.
“Not. Hardly.” Moving faster, trying to catch up to her and her stupid chemicals, he stopped double checking his numbers and stopped measuring so precisely. It took too long and she was flying through it without doing any of those things, so obviously, it wasn’t such a big deal, right?
Wrong.
He didn’t cause so much of an explosion, per se, but he did make his concoction bubble up out of the test tube and all over his countertop and then onto the floor, bright pink and hissing.
Everyone in the class squealed and dove away from him while Quin stood there, staring in horror. How could this have happened? His mother was a witch!
Destiny didn’t move, though. She smiled wickedly, her eyes dancing. “Cauldron bubble,” she said quietly.
Quin clenched his teeth and glared.
****
“SO. HOW DID IT go?” Fate purred when Destiny finally caught up to her at Fate’s white truck. Destiny had a black one just like it.
“It went. I heard you caused an explosion in chemistry.”
Fate laughed as she went around to the driver’s side. Destiny swung up into her seat and fastened her seat belt. “Only a little one. I made sure it wouldn’t cause any damage.” She shrugged, grinning. “Have to get noticed here somehow.”
“Why?” Destiny asked, leaning her head against the seat. “We went three whole months not being noticed at Maria Fey.”
Fate smiled, maneuvering through the mass of people trying to escape the school parking lot. “New start and all that. Speaking of, they have a cross country team here. You should join.”
“Really? Do you think they’ll let me? School started over a month ago.”
Fate winked at her. “Just open those big eyes all innocent-ish and they won’t be able to say no.”
Destiny settled back in her seat. She loved to run. She also loved to fight. One might think she was meant to be a warrior witch, but one would be wrong. She was a potions witch. She made things to heal or give courage.
Or fall in love.
Except their mother, Alina, had forbidden them from making a love potion ever again.
Like, ever.
“Yeah, but she’ll forget. She banned us from making them in the first place and then helped us fix them when we messed up our first batch,” Fate said, reading her thoughts.
“Stop that. I didn’t give you permission to get in my head,” Destiny grumbled.
“Stop thinking so loud then.” Fate grinned, not taking her eyes from the parking lot in front of them. Which was good, because two seconds later Fate swore as a big black jeep swerved out in front of them, cutting them off. It was lifted and shiny, and the back was off so Destiny could clearly see the driver.
Quin.
“Jerk,” she snapped.
Fate raised an eyebrow. “Do we not like him? He’s…umm…hot, Des.”
“He thinks he’s the world’s gift to chemistry.”
“Oooh, did somebody challenge the mighty Destiny?”
“No,” she growled. “He did not.”
“Are you sure it isn’t because he’s hot and you might like him?”
He was hot. And he’d been nice enough until Destiny hadn’t thrown herself at his feet. Did all the girls do that here? She’d heard several other girls talking about him at lunch. And again in the hall.
Well, she was not one to throw herself at any boy. No matter how pretty his eyes were. Or how nice his shirt fit over those muscled arms and chest…
“Yes. That’s not why.”
Fate breathed a sigh of relief, finally free of the traffic and safely on the back road that would take them home. It was a half hour drive, which sucked. But that’s what they get for getting themselves expelled. Alina had no pity for them.
At all.
“Hello?”
Destiny blinked at her sister, trying to get her tired brain to catch back up with the conversation. “Sorry. I’m listening.”
“So I had this idea…”
Destiny yawned and leaned against the door, cushioning her head with her palm. School was exhausting. Fate was exhausting. “What now?”
“Obviously we can’t sell potions at school anymore. That… didn’t end well.”
“Ya think?” Destiny asked, twisting so she could see Fate.
Fate pursed her lips to scowl at her before continuing. “But we could make one heck of a business online.”
Destiny groaned, sliding down lower in her seat. “Mom’s going to kill us.”
Fate held up a finger. “Only if she finds out.”
“You’re a bad influence.”
“I’m the light one. You’re the dark witch.” Fate laughed, reaching over to tug on a strand of black hair.
“Just because my hair is dark does not make me the bad witch. You’re the one always coming up with these schemes that get us expelled.”
“And you’re the one skipping along beside me.” Fate’s smile didn’t even falter.
Probably because she was right.
“Okay, but not local.”
Fate’s smile widened. “Yes ma’am.”
By the time they pulled into the driveway, there was another car waiting. Small and fast and silver. Fate groaned and Destiny slid lower in her seat. “Awesome. The warrior witch is here.”
“Just to remind us how much more powerful she is than us little potion witches.” Destiny shoved the door open, gathering all her courage and strong will around her. “Even though we’re both taller than she is.”
“Clearly we didn’t get our height from Mom’s side of the family.” Fate slung her bag over her shoulder and straightened her spine. “Always a fun time when Aunt Winnie shows up,” she said drily.
Winnie was not a fun aunt.
Destiny walked close to her sister, their hands just touching. Sharing their strength.
Alina met them at the door. “Guess who’s here?” Her smile and cheerful tone were fake. Very fake.
“The car kind of gave it away, Mom. What’s she doing here?”
Winnie purred from the doorway, her bright, spiky white hair catching the light and throwing it around the room like Fate’s did. Her eyes were brown, though, and their faces looked nothing alike. Winnie’s was sharp and triangular, her brown eyes always suspicious. “Well, there are my troublemaking little nieces. You caused quite a stir in the witch world with your little prank.”
Fate shoved past her. “It wasn’t a prank. I wanted new shoes.”
Destiny stopped, squeezing her mom’s hand. Alina was dark-haired, like her, but her eyes were brown, like Winnie’s. Their father, whoever he may be, must have had blue, blue eyes. Alina had the softer features, like her daughters, too. Huge eyes, oval face, high cheekbones. In a word—
She was beautiful.
Winnie was talking, and Destiny let go of her mother’s hand to duck into the cool shadow of the house. All the curtains were drawn, doors shut tight. “Making spells, are we?” Destiny asked, interrupting Winnie.
Winnie hated to be interrupted. Especially by a potions witch.
Her already narrow eyes narrowed further. “Didn’t you teach them not to interrupt their elders?” she hissed.
“She taught us that it’s important to have a voice of our own,” Fate hissed back.
Alina swept between them, laughing nervously, fake smile in place. “Yes, Destiny. We were making spells. Winnie is looking for something that might carry a little more venom on the battle field. Weren’t you, Winnie?”
Winnie shrugged, but Fate’s interest had been caught, Destiny could tell. Partly because hers had, and if hers had, Fate’s had, too. But also because Fate stopped halfway up the stairs and turned, eyes wide and sparkling. “A new potion?”
Winnie took the spotlight as soon as she realized she wasn’t in it. “Yes. We’re… struggling. The warlocks gain power with every witch they kill, and yet we can kill a thousand warlocks and our power doesn’t grow.” She pouted, lip puckered and everything.
Destiny rolled her eyes. “That’s because warlocks broke the oath. That’s basically what warlocks are, you know. Oath breakers. If you want to steal their power like they steal ours, that breaks the coven oath, and then you’re one of them, fighting on the wrong side.”
“Would that be so bad?” Winnie asked, turning on them. Alina made a small sound in the back of her throat, but Destiny didn’t move. “Would it be so bad if we had that power on our side?”
“It would make you one of them,” Destiny responded through clenched teeth. “So yes, I would assume that’s a bad thing.”
Fate clomped down the stairs loudly, breaking the glaring match between her sister and her aunt. “And you’ll be all red glowing eyes and sharp teeth and gross skin. Oh, and the claws. Don’t forget the claws.” She spread her hand, displaying her pretty pink nails.
“And the mindlessness. And the lack of any sort of life. I mean, they just travel around looking for witches. No dating, no reading. No chemistry,” Destiny added.
Fate smirked at her. “No Quin.”
“Maybe being a warlock isn’t such a bad thing,” Destiny grumbled.
Alina had melted into the shadows at one point, and her brown eyes didn’t give her away like Destiny’s blue ones did. Fate’s smile died as she faced her aunt. “You can’t break the coven oath, Winnie. But we’ll see what we can come up with for you to use in battle. However,” she glanced at Destiny with a small smile. “We can’t do it with you staring over our shoulders. Be on your way and we’ll call you when we have something.”
“Fate. That isn’t very nice,” Alina said, materializing next to them.
Fate and Destiny both shrugged simultaneously.
“You could be a little more grateful. I had to dig your family out of the mess you made because your mother wasn’t up to doing it. You might say thank you.”
“We didn’t ask for your help,” Destiny snapped.
“I did,” Alina said quietly. “I couldn’t face the coven elders.”
Winnie patted Alina on the cheek. “You never could.”
Destiny snarled. Fate hissed again. “Maybe because she had you for a sister, Aunt Winnie.
“Enough,” Alina yelled. “Fate, Destiny, go to your rooms. Don’t you have homework?”
“Not,” Winnie said, blocking the stairs, “until they tell me thank you.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Fate said.
Destiny crossed her arms over her chest. They were taller than Winnie. In a fight, she would win, of course, because her magic was vicious, made for killing. Theirs… was not. Not to mention that she had a magic wand and they didn’t.
“Girls, she saved us a great deal of trouble. She cleared the story with our government handler and got them to handle the school, and kept us out of trouble with the coven. Tell her thank you, please.”
Fate sucked in a breath and Destiny sighed inwardly. It wasn’t like they could tell Alina no. She didn’t deserve that. “Thank you,” they both said.
Winnie grinned triumphantly. “It was my pleasure.” Sweeping her arms wide, she moved out of their way.
“I’ll bet it was,” Destiny said.
“Rooms. Now.” Alina pointed up the stairs, but Destiny was loath to leave her. Their cruel aunt would tear Alina to shreds. She’d be a sobbing mess for weeks.
Just like last time.
But Alina was glaring. She never glared. Both girl turned and scampered up the stairs, pausing at the top.
“Rooms!” Alina bellowed.
Squealing, they both disappeared into their rooms. Destiny slid the window open and climbed out onto the roof. Fate was already waiting. “I hate when she comes over,” she said quietly.
“Me too.” Destiny settled next to her, and Fate leaned her head on her sister’s shoulder. “It’s like she doesn’t get that we moved clear the heck away from the coven specifically to get away from her.”
Fate twisted her fingers, playing with the spiders that scampered along the roof. Finally, she spoke. “We’ll never hate each other like that, will we?” Fate asked.
“No. Because neither one of us is evil. Plus, they’re not twins.”
Fate reached over and squeezed her hand, leaving their fingers interlaced while they watched the leaves dance through the forest and the clouds rolled in to black out the sun.
Alina had left the coven when she was seventeen, a year younger than Fate and Destiny were now. She’d only told them the story once, but neither had ever forgotten.
There’d been a boy. Of course, there was always a boy. Boys were the cause of all problems. But this boy, Alina had never been able to get over. She’d loved him with her heart and soul, and she’d given him everything.
Unfortunately, Winnie had loved him, too. And as a warrior, she and the rest of the coven and pretty much every warrior witch in the world thought she was above her potions sister. And so the boy should love her back.
But he didn’t.
He loved Alina. They should have lived happily ever after. They should have gotten their fairy tale. But Winnie convinced everyone, including Alina, that he only loved her because of a love potion. Even though Alina never gave him a potion at all, Winnie convinced her that he must have come into contact with one, somehow or another.
Alina was so ashamed, she left in the middle of the night, running hundreds of miles north, and started a new life, pregnant and alone.
She’d tried not to teach them magic, but it was in their blood. They’d started enchanting their toys before they could walk, and the witch in her was proud. She’d never seen anything like it. So she’d taught them everything, everything she knew, and when she ran out of things to teach them, she started hunting up spell books for them to study.
That was how her old coven, and Winnie, had found her.
Potion witches were supposed to supply the warriors with potions to use in battle because their spells alone weren’t powerful enough to fight off the warlocks. By deserting the coven, Alina had deserted her duty and brought shame to their family. No one else, not her parents or her other sister, wanted anything to do with her. Winnie was the only one who would, and that was because she was so fascinated by the twins.
They were only the second set of magical twins to be born in the coven’s entire eight hundred year history.
“I’ve been thinking about this spell—” Fate started, but Destiny shushed her.
“I think she’s leaving.”
It was true. Winnie’s voice carried up from the porch they sat above, harsh and sultry all at once. “I just expected so much more from them, you understand. I thought they would be warriors, like me. They’re twins, Alina. You know the prophecy.”
Destiny sat up straight, and Fate fell sideways with an oomph. “Shhhh!” She shoved a hand over Fate’s mouth. She’d never heard of a prophecy before.
“They aren’t the twins in the prophecy, Winnie.”
“There aren’t any other twins, Alina.”
“There’s Ancient and Eldest.”
“They’re old, Alina. The prophecy isn’t talking about them. How could these girls not be the prophesied twins?”
“Because they’re not warriors. They’re potion girls.”
“They can’t be. You’re mistaken. You can’t end a war wi
th potions, Alina. Unless we all die and they’re the last to go. I guess that would be an end to this war.”
Alina gasped, and Fate hissed. But Destiny sat absolutely still, listening hard, heart pounding in her chest. Something in her mind seemed to shimmer to life, but she couldn’t quite tell what it was or what it meant. From this far up, she could smell Winnie’s perfume. It seemed to be trying to overpower the smell of the honeysuckles growing around the chimney next to them.
Winnie always smelled slightly of decay. No potion and certainly no perfume had ever been able to banish that smell.
CHAPTER TWO
TWO WEEKS QUIN HAD HAD TO suffer with Destiny in not one, not two, but three of his classes, and he was losing his mind. It wasn’t like he had girls falling all over him. It wasn’t like he was Trey, the legendary football star who had graduated when Quin was a freshman. That guy had girls literally fighting over him when he walked down the halls. Quin played football, but he was a running back, not a quarterback.
Still, running backs had their own little fan club.
And he couldn’t figure out why Destiny wasn’t in it.
“I mean, you saw the way she looked at me that first day, right?” he asked Aaron as they cooled down after practice. “She noticed me, bro. Like, I saw her eyes widen and everything.”
Aaron snorted and the guys around them snickered. “Oh no. Not the eyes widen.”
Quin glared at him before turning back to his pushups. “It’s a girl thing. You wouldn’t get it.”
“I get it as much as you do,” Aaron responded, smashing knuckles with Zeke on his other side.
Quin rolled his eyes. “She’s, like, little Ms. Know-Everything. Mr. Zornes asked her how to do that experiment today in class. He’s the freaking teacher!”
“Well, she’s good at chemistry. So what?”
She’d been relatively quiet in all his other classes. As quiet as she could be with guys falling all over her.
“Fate’s in my chemistry class. She likes to blow stuff up.” Zeke flopped onto his back to do his sit ups. Automatically, Quin rolled to his feet and grabbed the medicine ball before settling across from Zeke and tossing it when Zeke sat up. Zeke took it and went down, then came up and threw it to Quin. Conversation ground to a halt after that, both of them too tired to talk.