Either way, she’d soon know whether she was right, and Grace was like Mina. Or she was wrong, and maybe crazier than she’d thought.
* * *
Anxiety rode Mina; her throat was dry, and the beating of her heart was loud in her ears.
Grace sat on her side of the desk, in a pool of light surrounded by shadows. Her hair was in its usual chignon, and like normal, a few pieces had escaped to curl under her chin.
She said nothing, expressionless, waiting as Mina floundered.
What was she supposed to say? Grace, I think I’m a witch, and you are too? Grace, I think you gave me all those books to make me believe in something that’s absolutely nuts, and now I’m hoping I’m not out of my mind because I believe in them.
“Is everything all right?” Grace finally asked. They’d been staring at each other for several minutes.
Mina swallowed, pressed her lips together, and nodded without making a sound.
Grace waited.
“You can do it Mina,” Hitch said and Grace’s head turned the smallest amount. It would have been unnoticeable if Mina hadn’t been watching Grace so steadily, and that small movement gave Mina the courage she needed.
It was Grace. And their friendship, Mina reminded herself, was real. Mina took a deep breath and a flood of words filled the air, almost at super speed, “Someone told me something when I was in the hospital. He said that sometimes people are waiting for you to turn to them. That maybe they need you to reach out to them.”
Grace set her hands on the desk in front of her, lacing her fingers, leaning forward—but she was wordless.
Mina waited.
Grace said nothing for a few moments before finally asking, “Did you need help with something?”
Mina nodded, waiting again, afraid.
“You can trust Grace,” Zizi said softly, the buzz in her voice noticeable for once.
Mina licked her lips and then words surged from her, “You can tell me I’m not crazy because I think I’m a witch or a fae or whatever. You can tell me that my friends, these sprites, are real, and you see them too. You can help me figure out what to do next.”
Chapter 10
Mina lay back on her bed. It was a canopy bed, strung with Christmas lights and apple garland. As she stared into the lights, she thought about this day.
For so long she’d been lost.
And now…
Now, she knew that Peter knew.
Now, she knew that Grandmother knew—with all her paraphernalia in the chest that hid in plain sight.
And Grace. Grace had explained it all.
Mina sat up, leaning forward and running her hands down her pajama pants, stretching to her toes, and looking up to see her three steadiest friends. They sat, side by side, on the end board of Mina’s bed watching her.
“So, we’re real,” Hitch said.
Mina nodded.
“People other than you can see us.” Hitch’s wings sped, filling the room with a low buzz.
Mina nodded.
“And you…” He trailed off, daring her to say it.
To make it real.
After all, the last couple of hours with Grace had been—almost—unbelievable.
Mina licked her lips before speaking.
Licked them again and swallowed.
And then she said clearly, “I’m a witch.”
* * *
Mina sat outside the high school. Her legs were crossed on the bench, and she leaned over one of the witch books Grace had provided. Lessons would start in ten days when Grace got back from a conference. Until then…Mina had a pile of books to explore.
Magic was like science. She’d learn basic principles from Grace and basic skills, and then Mina could decide what or if she wanted to learn more. She expected she’d want to learn a lot more.
She wanted to be able to talk to trees and plants or animals. Some witches could fly by manipulating air currents. Others could light things on fire with the force of their eyes. Others could brew potions that could do unimaginable things. They could learn languages in days. They could sense the emotions of others. Bespell normal objects to make high heels comfortable or bags carry endless things. Witches could turn a cottage into a mansion with unexpected turns, pools, conservatories, and towers that the non-magical would never notice. Witches could make themselves invisible. They could make gardens bloom in the depths of winter. And some, some could do all of those things and more.
She flipped another page, running her fingers over the image that seemed to have been burned into the page. It was a girl not much older than Mina, holding a bird on her finger. As Mina watched, color spread over the page. The leaves on the bush moved; the rose and the girl’s cheeks took on a pale rose color. The girl cocked her head and whistled to the bird. And as she did, the bird whistled back. The text below the image read simply, “Witches and the fae can learn the languages of animals.”
Mina curled over the book, watching a bunny creep out from behind a hedge in the background of the picture. As it did, the bird and the girl turned their heads, and the conversation expanded to include the rabbit.
“Hey,” a low husky voice said, and Mina jumped.
Max.
Mina licked her lips, letting the book close before he could catch a glimpse and said softly, “Hey.”
“You left early yesterday.”
Mina nodded.
“I hoped we could talk.” The bell rang, and he tossed at the school an angry scowl.
Mina uncrossed her legs, rubbed her burning eyes—she’d been up all night—and started walking towards the school. As she did, she said, “Yesterday was…”
But how could she explain?
“It’s weird,” Max said. “To not be friends like we were.”
Mina paused, for just a moment, before continuing towards their English class.
“I’m sorry.” Max walked next to her, watching her.
She watched him back, out of the corner of her eye, and reminded herself that none of this was his fault.
“Me too,” she said as he opened the door to the classroom.
Max took her arm again, preventing her from fully entering the classroom. “Can’t we be friends again?”
Mina took a deep breath. Only yesterday she’d been raging that he hadn’t asked.
And she missed him.
“Mr. Mason, Miss Roth, perhaps you’d like to join us and quit wasting all our time?”
Max dropped her arm, and they found their way to their seats. As they opened their notebooks, Mina reached over, took Max’s pen and wrote in the margin of his paper, “We can try.”
* * *
“You gonna sleep?” Poppy grinned as Mina propped herself up on pillows, opened another of Grace’s books, and prepared to read to her friends.
Zizi flicked the red head. “Who can sleep when all of this is waiting?”
“People who were up all night, last night, reading,” Hitch said, not even pretending that he was going to listen to Mina read. Instead, he curled up on the pillow, settled his head on his arms, and snuggled down.
“I’m just gonna read for a few minutes, Hitchy.” Mina softly flicked his wing. “I prom…”
But the stairs creaked outside her room. They paused, praying one of Mina’s parents wasn’t outside the room, or if they were, they hadn’t been eavesdropping.
“What was that?” Zizi nodded at Hitch, and they leapt into the air, darting at the door to check.
But before, they were halfway across the room, the knowledge struck them all at once, “Sarah…”
Mina flipped the covers back, jammed her feet into rain boots and slapped a coat on. She scooped Poppy into the front pocket.
“I’ll follow her; you get a flashlight,” Hitch ordered, zipping out the patio doors and diving over the side of the second floor patio.
“I can’t find one,” Mina gasped, shuffling through the drawers and her closet.
“The linen cupboard,” Zizi zipped towards it, and Mina followed s
peed tip-toeing across her room.
Zizi tugged Mina towards her room saying, “I will bring Mina down the side of the patio.”
Mina scooped up the still bandaged Poppy and let the sprite slip into the collar of Mina’s shirt, feet hanging over Mina’s chest.
Mina paused at the edge of the patio, but Zizi nodded reassuringly. With a deep breath, she pulled herself onto the ledge.
“Ok?” Zizi asked.
Mina caught a glimpse of Sarah disappearing into the woods in her white nightgown. She was moving almost inhumanely fast. So, Mina didn’t think before she nodded and stepped off the side of the patio.
Grabbing the back of her jacket, Zizi slowed her fall until Mina landed lightly on her feet.
“That way.” Poppy said pointing across the yard and into the National Forest. “I can hear the buzz of Hitch’z wingz.”
In case her parents were up, Mina left the flashlight off, trusted in her memory and moved across the grass as quickly as she could.
“I’m gonna figure out what’s happening.” Zizi said as she disappeared into the trees.
Mina made her way into the woods, taking the same trail she’d seen Sarah disappear down. They were only minutes behind her, so they should be able to catch up. Except she’d been moving so fast.
It took far longer than Mina expected for Zizi to return. And when she did, Mina was already tired from running, especially being ridden by worry for her sister.
Hand on tree, heaving for air, she waited for Zizi to explain.
“She is moving very fast, Mina. Faster than she should be able to.” Zeez’s face was disturbed.
“What are you saying,” Mina asked between great mouthfuls of air.
“I am saying that there is no way she’s sleep walking.”
“Oh man…” Mina put her head down, pushed off the tree and ran almost without looking. She leaped when Poppy or Zizi told her to, wove to the left, to the right, obeyed all their instructions, entirely focused on trying to catch up with Sarah.
But, of course, she tripped. She’d almost been waiting for it and for the scream that was yanked from her as the ground reached up to slap her.
Only it didn’t.
Instead Mina was pulled to a stop inches above the grown, lifted into the air, and flown over tangled greenery.
“Straighten your legs.” Zizi ordered, strain evident in her voice.
“Oh my gosh,” Mina gasped, forcing her legs out.
She pushed her arms forward lighting the path before them with the flashlight. Zizi dodged at the last moment, time after time, making Mina hold back yelp after yelp.
“You have to beat her to wherever she is going Mina. You aren’t fast enough on your own, and you’ll need to snap her out of the spell, or whoever did this to her…”
There it was—that ominous feeling—an “or else” that was haunting them.
“What will they do?” Mina demanded.
“I do not know, but I do not think we want to find out.”
What had Zizi seen?
Finally, Zizi darted past her sister, coming in from the side. Mina didn’t get more than glimpse of Sarah until Zizi dropped Mina to the forest floor. Mina tossed Zizi the flashlight so that Mina, at least, could see Sarah coming. The one moment of delay nearly lost Mina her chance.
Sarah was…
There was a prowl to her. She was nearly a blur, as she lunged from tree to tree. Fully black eyes seemed to suck in what little light there was. Her face was covered again in that web of dark lines. A terrible contrast to her unholy veins, Sarah’s skin was albino white. And as Sarah’s black orbs focused on Mina, they made the hair on the back of her neck rise.
“I’ll grab her,” Hitch said. “Slow her down.”
Mina charged her sister as Hitch swung around Sarah mid-lunge, grabbing her white night gown, and yanking her back while Mina jumped at her sister, wrapping her legs and arms around Sarah’s body.
A shriek filled the air. High pitched and ear splitting like a super-sized bat.
Mina had hoped to tackle Sarah, but instead Mina was clinging to a moving, barely slowed, sister.
Who dug her nails into Mina.
A horrified gasp escaped her; Sarah’s fingers gouging into the back of Mina’s neck and the base of her spine. Her fingernails—they weren’t normal—it was like Mina was being clawed.
Hitch let go of Sarah’s nightgown.
Sarah, even while she tried to haul Mina off, moved through the brush without pause.
“Help.” Mina gasped.
Zizi and Hitch each grabbed one of Sarah’s clawed hands, freeing Mina.
Shaking with pain, Mina tightened her grip on her sister’s torso.
It was as if time-slowed.
She could see her sister pull her head back. Those vicious eyes pierced Mina with a wicked rage.
Sarah growled; saliva dripped from peeled back lips, revealing jagged, yellowed teeth.
Mina cried out.
“Sarah,” she gasped, trying to reach her sister—to make her see who was clinging to her.
But Sarah, without a flicker of recognition, dug her teeth into Mina’s shoulder.
“Ahhhh!” Mina let go of Sarah’s shoulders to wrap her fingers around Sarah’s neck.
The high-pitched growling began again.
“Sarah!” Mina pled as she choked her sister. “Sarah, wake up.”
Poppy crawled out from the collar of Mina’s shirt, dropped to the ground and rounded behind their struggling bodies. Mina felt the impact of Poppy hitting the back of each of Sarah’s knees.
Sarah fell forward; the impact made Sarah release her teeth from Mina’s neck, and Mina dropped to the ground, holding one hand to her mangled collarbone.
She clutched at her neck and looked, with horror, at her favorite sister.
There was only a monster there.
“Sarah?” Mina whispered.
Poppy darted between them, diving into Sarah’s torso. At the same time, Hitch and Zizi increased their speed, pulling Sarah back by her wrists, and pinning her to the ground. It was only their grasp that had kept Sarah’s teeth from Mina’s neck again. Their struggling bodies that kept Sarah’s claws from Mina’s body.
Sarah’s body arched. Her head tossed back and forth in the dirt, and she filled the woods with unholy, inhuman shrieks.
“What do I do?” Mina held her wound with one hand, the other covering her mouth.
“Help us hold her down,” Hitch ordered.
“Talk to her,” Zizi called.
Mina dropped onto her sister’s chest, knee on each shoulder. Calling to Sarah, pleading with her, yelling at her.
There was no effect.
Sarah’s legs scissored, and even with the weight of Mina, with the strength of the sprites, they barely kept Sarah on the ground.
“It’s not working,” Mina gasped.
“Sing to her.” Zizi’s wings were blurred, her body at an angle and she pressed Sarah’s wrist to the ground.
Mina yanked off her coat to get her t-shirt. In a moment, it was off, and she gagged her sister. In only a cami and pajama pants, Mina pressed her face into the dirt next to Sarah and sang their lullaby. A series of intertwined la’s they’d created together, back when they’d shared a room and whispered into the nighttime.
Dismal and powerless as this one sided harmony felt, Mina sang on. And slowly, the black lines on her sister’s face grew smaller, a bit of color returned to her eyes.
“It’z working.” Poppy said, wings still in a sling as she joined in the song.
The two of them sang until their voices were hoarse.
Mina tried singing again, but her voice was nearly gone. She leaned her face back down to Sarah’s and whispered into her ear.
Memories, stories they told each other, random nonsense.
“One nail is gone,” Hitch huffed.
Mina whispered until her voice was nothing more than a rasp, and finally, Sarah’s body returned to normal.
As soon as the last black line faded from her skin, the last claw slipped back into her flesh, Sarah fell limp.
“Now what?” Mina’s words were barely audible, still digging her knees into Sarah’s shoulders.
Just in case.
* * *
They loaded Sarah onto a sheet that Zizi delivered. After they dragged Sarah’s boneless body onto it, all of them collapsed, speechless to the ground.
Mina wiped sweat and dirt from her face with her cami as Hitch tore Mina’s t-shirt into strips.
He and Zizi bound Sarah’s hands and feet.
“She is probably ok for now,” Zizi said, tightening the bindings.
Hitch followed after Zizi, checking each knot. Their goosebumps had not faded, and the fear had not left them, and it wasn’t because it was cold, damp, and dark in the woods.
“What are we going to do?” Poppy finally asked.
“Grace is gone,” Zizi commented, on her knees next to Mina.
Peter’s family? Mina wondered as she looked at the form of her sister and knew she could never trust her sister with people who had left Mina to suffer as Peter and his family had.
“Thiz wasn’t a normal spell.” Hitch didn’t need to explain, even to Mina. She knew almost nothing, but enough to have a fair idea of what a normal witch or fae could do. They shouldn’t be able to take someone from their bed, against their will, change their bodies, and give them a strength they didn’t have. All the while hiding the soul of the person behind the viciousness of the spell.
“We need someone very good,” Zizi huffed. “Better even than good.”
Poppy pushed back her mass of brilliant red hair as she said, “My grandmother.”
Mina’s eyes darted between the sprites. Looking for some indication of what they thought.
Hitch nodded, and Zizi whispered, “Yes.”
Hitch and Poppy were gone a moment later, racing towards Poppy’s grandmother and whatever help they could find.
* * *
“We have to get there before my parents wake up.” It was, perhaps, the third time Mina had said it.
But all hope of witch lessons, all hope of helping Sarah faded if the parents went into super protective mode again. And how was she going to explain the bite on her shoulder? Sarah’s state? They’d assume she’d been doing drugs or something. They’d jump to overdoses. Raves in the woods.
These Lying Eyes Page 10