Incredulity colors her expression—as I expected. “Why would you want to help me?”
“I don’t,” I say easily. “But my sister told me about your problem.”
Crystal’s disbelief is replaced by panic. Not wanting to let her continue on the fast train to Freak-Out Town, I press on.
“She said you lost your magic.” I make sure to keep my voice low. Although Gramps a few computers down seems totally engrossed in whatever he’s attempting to read, too many years of being drilled about how dangerous it is for outsiders to learn about our abilities is difficult to fight. “I didn’t even know that was possible. I can’t imagine how awful it is.”
Crystal sneers. “So, what? You come here to rub it in?”
I shake my head. “No. Like I said, I can help.”
“Yeah? Well, you also said you didn’t want to.”
The corner of my mouth quirks up in a half-smile. I can’t help it—this couldn’t be going better if I’d scripted it. I’m ready for this. “I’ve lost everyone—except Anya and Elliot. And they’ve decided to stay here in Clearwater. That means I’m going to stay here, too. But things are harder than I thought they’d be. I grew up in a community where magic was a part of everyday life. I’m having trouble adjusting to life around all these ordinary people.” I sigh for effect. “Your friends are the only ones with abilities, and you all hate me—not that I blame you, necessarily. I was willing to do anything for Seth. But I came out on the losing side of that battle.” I press my lips together. That last part was a little harder to say out loud than I anticipated. “Seth’s beloved was from the Taylor line. If I can help you, it’s like… It’s like I’m doing something he would’ve wanted.”
Crystal studies me for a long moment. An internal struggle plays itself out across her face. I may not be a psychic, but I’ve always had a talent for reading people, and I know my words are having the desired effect. She doesn’t want to trust me, but she’s curious about what I might know. “I’m listening,” she says at length.
I waste no time slipping the drawstring bag from my back.
From it, I pull the flimsy two-pocket folder I picked up to put copies from the grimoire in. When I hand it over, Crystal weighs it in her hands before opening it. She scans the first of a dozen pages. I did my best to copy only information about the spell and nothing about its consequences.
Her brow crinkles. “Influence? Never heard of it.”
“I’m not surprised. This is old magic, and it takes some serious power to do the spell. Obviously you’ll need a witch to do the casting.” When she glowers, I backpedal: “One who’s in, you know, top form, that is.”
Crystal shoves the folder back at me, not even bothering to close it. “No. Look—thanks but no thanks.” She stands and takes a step away. “I appreciate the offer, but…”
I grab her arm before she can move any farther. She stiffens at my touch but doesn’t pull away. “Hey. If you don’t want to do this just because you don’t trust me, I think you should reconsider. If you want to get magic back, this spell will give it to you. Now, you can waste your time and continue to search for other things that won’t work if you want. And you’ll have the same two choices then that you do now: Trust me enough to try this, or stay the way you are forever.”
I don’t wait for her to respond. While she stands stock-still, allowing my words to sink in, I’m the one who rises and leaves. Part of me wants to stay to see where she’s leaning after she processes, but I know I can’t press her. She can’t feel like I’m pushing her to do this, not if I want her to go through with it.
I ignore the voice in my head questioning the wisdom in my plan. This spell is dangerous, but I convince myself I won’t have to deal with the consequences. That’ll be a job for Krissa. There’s no way she’ll stand idly by as the Influence takes over her friend. And as she watches helplessly as her friend descends into madness, she’ll be consumed by guilt. She’ll live with the enduring pain that comes from not being able to save someone she would do anything for.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Crystal
After Sasha left, I sat back down in the hard plastic chair and stayed at the library until Dana sent a text to ask whether I was picking her up. I got so distracted poring over the pages Sasha provided I completely forgot I was supposed to meet Krissa at Griffin’s apartment at five.
My mind swirls the whole time I’m in my car. Influence seems straightforward enough: It’s a way for people without abilities to acquire them, a way for them to influence the world around them. Instead of using stones and charms to channel magic, from what I can tell, this spell would make a person a conduit for energy to pass through.
I hate to admit it, considering the source, but this spell might be just what I’ve been looking for.
Dana is subdued from the time I pick her up until the time we pull into the parking lot of Griffin’s building. I’m not surprised—there’s not much she can do to help with my current predicament. I like to think she’s coming out of a sense of loyalty and friendship, but I have a sinking suspicion her motives aren’t entirely that pure. More likely she wants to be present on the off chance Krissa’s able to do something to reconnect us with our abilities.
I trip over an uneven spot on the sidewalk as we approach the door nearest Griffin’s address. I’ve passed by this place hundreds of times in my life, but I’ve never really noticed it. The rectangular red brick structure hidden behind a row of three large trees seems designed to blend in with the surroundings. There are only six units, with three on the ground floor and three stacked neatly above. I press the button beside Holloway and wait for a response.
We’re buzzed in, and Dana and I make our way up to the second-floor unit. The door opens before I get a chance to knock, revealing Krissa and, to my great surprise, Lexie.
“What’s going on?” I ask as Krissa ushers us inside. It’s not what I wanted to ask, but I figure demanding what my cousin’s doing here will only make tempers flare.
Lexie grins like she knows what I’m really thinking. She stands by a mud-brown couch. “Easy there, cuz. I’m here to help.”
I fight the urge to ask what Krissa was thinking involving Lexie in this. Whether I like it or not, Lexie’s already involved. She’s part of my family, which means Brody could target her as easily as my parents.
Dana throws up her hands. “Okay, I’ll bite. No offense, Lexie, but why do we need her? When you said we were meeting here, I assumed Griffin was gonna be your extra witch power. Why is Lexie here?”
Krissa sweeps her hand toward the dilapidated couch. “Why don’t you sit down?”
We do as she requests. When Lexie, Dana, and I fill in the spots on the couch, Krissa settles on the coffee table in front of us. I can’t help noticing just how comfortable she is. How much time does she spend here? And where is Griffin? A flush from the bathroom answers that question.
“I’m still convinced a personal connection to Bess is what we need,” Krissa begins. “We tried using Crystal’s link, but it wasn’t strong enough. And I think I know why.”
“Because I don’t have magic anymore,” I supply. I don’t need a road map to come to her conclusion. “That’s why you asked Lexie. She’s also blood related, but she actually has abilities.”
“We wouldn’t need Lexie if you’d just help us get our abilities back,” Dana mutters, her voice easily carrying across the room.
“I will,” Krissa says, her voice soft but firm. “But right now, getting in touch with Bess is the priority.”
The water from the bathroom tap shuts off, accompanied by a solid thud—a sound I always associate with old plumbing. The door opens and I turn, expecting to see Griffin—except it’s Felix Wolfe who emerges. He lifts his chin in greeting before taking a seat beside Krissa on the table. This time I can’t contain my question. “Okay, what’s he doing here?”
If Felix is offended by my tone, his face doesn’t register it. “Nice to see you, too, Crystal.�
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Krissa shoots him a look like she’s warning him not to poke a bear. “Psychic support,” she answers. “I’m a little out of practice and could use the backup.”
I’m about to ask what she’s talking about, but my mind dredges up a detail from every time we’ve attempted this spell so far: Krissa always removes her bracelet. I never thought to ask about it. Is it possible she’s somehow cutting off her mind-reading abilities? And if she is—why?
Krissa checks the time on her phone. “We should get started. Griffin’s working late at the garage today, but I don’t know how long this’ll take and I’d rather be done before he gets home.”
“Wait—he’s not even here?” Dana asks. “I figured he was in his room or something. Do you have, like, a key?”
Krissa shakes her head and I roll my eyes. Of course she doesn’t need a key to get in here. I know Dana was new to the whole world-of-magic thing and she didn’t have her psychic abilities for long before they dissipated, but sometimes her lack of understanding is embarrassing. “He knows we’re here,” Krissa assures us. “He just made it clear he wanted us gone by the time he got back.”
Dana nods vaguely, but she still looks mildly confused. “So, what? Are you two…dating now?”
Krissa snorts like the question is ridiculous, but I can’t help noticing how Lexie and Felix perk up as if the same question has been buzzing in their heads. Krissa picks up on this, too, and makes a show of rolling her eyes. “No. By no stretch of the imagination.”
“Oh,” Dana says, a distinct note of disappointment clinging to the syllable. “That’s too bad. If we ended up marrying brothers, we’d be sisters like we—” She stops short, mortification painting her features. I almost feel sorry for her, and not just because she’s given voice to the desire I’ve already picked up on: The way she talks about Fox, if I didn’t know any better I’d think the two were already planning a wedding. But I do know better—I’ve seen them together. And although I’d never admit it to Dana, he just doesn’t look the same when he’s around her as he did when he was with Krissa.
It’s Lexie who breaks the awkward silence. “If we’re on a clock, we should probably get to it.”
The tension that’s built up in both Krissa’s and Dana’s shoulders drains at the same moment, like they’re two separate parts of the same being. An image flashes in my head of a younger version of the two of them with their arms slung around each other’s shoulders. It was a picture in my alternate-self’s middle school yearbook. In this reality, the two of them used to be friends—before this reality’s version of me formed the circle and brought Krissa into it. Dana was a casualty of that transaction. It’s not something I usually think about. Is it difficult for Dana to spend as much time with me as she now does? Despite knowing I’m not the same girl, does she sometimes think of me that way?
Krissa begins giving directions. I pay minimal attention since this isn’t my first time doing this spell. The only differences I detect are that Lexie, not I, will be the link to Bess; and Felix, not Krissa, will be handling the psychic end of things. Dana and I are still provided with charm bags for helping to work the spell, but I sense they’re mostly for show. While I’ve felt a trickle of energy the other times we’ve tried this, the power from the charged herbs and stones is nothing compared to the magic I used to be able to tap in to so easily. With assistance from Lexie and Felix, Dana and my pitiful contributions will be nothing more than sprinkles on an ice cream cake: Not very useful.
I do my best to swallow the bitter taste that rises in the back of my throat. I feel so useless—something I’m entirely unaccustomed to. Since Saturday, the accident Brody and Kai caused has replayed through my head so many times I’ve lost count. A jumble of emotions swirl in my mind about the event, but more overwhelming than the fear that something could have happened to my parents and the anger that Brody would make so bold a step is the shame tinging every moment of the memory—shame that I’m completely incapable of keeping my family safe. Not only do I not have the magical power to fight against Brody, I can’t even be useful in getting the information he wants.
Krissa leads us in casting the spell, and I do my best to clear my head and focus on the task at hand. Despite my limitations on the abilities front, I can immediately sense a difference in the upswing of power surging this time. It’s an odd sensation, connecting to others during a spell: Although everyone remains separate, for the most part, it’s still possible to feel the thrum of another person’s magic—like different currents of electricity. Even when only aided by the charm bags, a pale echo of the hum reaches me. Lexie’s magic and Felix’s psychic abilities join with Krissa’s vibrant thread to form something greater and more complex than any of the three are alone—like a chord played on a piano.
Like the first time we tried to connect with Bess, I’m a mere passenger, adding what juice I can to the effort. I have no sense of whether things are going well, only how much energy is being drawn from me. Unlike that first time—or even the second—the demand on what I have to share never increases. The addition of Lexie and Felix must be providing Krissa with everything she needs.
An icy wave crashes over me, marshaling every nerve ending to high alert. My eyes, which have been closed for the duration of the spell, spring open, but what fills my vision isn’t Griffin’s sad apartment, it’s a bright white nothingness so dazzling and brilliant I bring my hands up to protect myself. But even when my palms press flat against my face, the light doesn’t abate. Despite how uncomfortable and overwhelming these sensations are, they’re also familiar, like I’ve been through this before. The feeling of my fingers against my forehead, my palms cupping my cheeks, fades, and I have the oddest sense that I’m a helium balloon being allowed to float to the end of its ribbon tether.
As suddenly as it came on, the ice is gone, replaced by a vague soreness on my left shoulder. Voices press in around me, but they’re garbled, like they’re coming to me from underwater. It’s not until hands grip me—too many to be from one person—that I come back to myself enough to open my eyes.
“What happened?” The voice is sharp, tight—almost accusatory. Lexie’s.
“I… I…” Krissa stammers.
Felix’s is the first face I’m able to focus on. His head is right above mine, and upside down. How can that be? Unless… I force my muscles to tighten and relax and determine I’m lying on the floor. My first instinct is to sit up—who knows how dirty this place is—but I can’t make my body comply. “She’s okay,” Felix says, a note of certainty in his tone. “She’s clear.”
“Are you sure?” Lexie demands, her hands sliding around my shoulders and tugging me upright. “I asked Krissa to check her out last time and she said the same thing.”
My head spins. What is she talking about? Last time what? I can’t make sense of what’s happening.
Lexie manages to right me, pressing my back into the lumpy fabric of Griffin’s couch. Felix brushes her shoulder with his fingertips. “Babe, give me a little credit here.”
The gears turning in my head grind to a halt for a split second. Babe? Are these two together? Since when? But I can’t let those questions overwhelm me for the moment. There are more pressing matters. “What’s going on?” My voice comes out scratchy, like I haven’t had anything to drink in too long.
Lexie opens her mouth to answer, but Felix is faster. “Short story? We found Bess.”
Despite the fact this is what we were trying for, Felix’s face isn’t a victorious one. His expression is hard, pinched.
Dana beats me to the obvious question: “Did you get the information?” She stands aloof, just behind Krissa, looking small and scared. She doesn’t appear to be as bad off as I am, and I wonder just how much of what happened to me she sensed.
“No,” Felix says flatly. “I think Krissa was right—we needed a blood relative with abilities to find Bess. But…” He shakes his head as he blows out a breath. “It was like she couldn’t actually connect with
Lexie. And before I knew it, she found you and rushed right through me to get to you. But it was too much—she started to overwhelm your system almost immediately, so I broke off…” He runs a shaky hand through his hair. His expression finally cracks, revealing just how ragged the encounter left him.
Krissa’s brows draw together in concentration as she listens to Felix’s report. She didn’t sense this the way he did, of course—she kept her bracelet on this time. But when he’s done talking, something seems to click for her. Her shoulders square and she catches my eye. “Looks like the plan’s changed.”
Felix nods. “I agree.”
Dana and Lexie exchange glances, expressions confused at the turn the conversation has taken. “What changed?” Dana asks.
The pieces click together in my head. “You need a relative with abilities to find Bess, but Bess won’t connect with Lexie. And when Bess went for me, it was too much for me to handle without abilities.”
Krissa nods. “We have to find a way to get your magic back if we want to get that information.”
Breath rushes over my parted lips. It’s exactly what I want—my magic. I have to bite my lower lip to keep from mentioning the Influence spell Sasha gave me. If I bring it up right now, Krissa will demand to know where I found it. If I tell her the truth, there’s no way she’ll even entertain it. If I decide to trust Sasha’s intentions and information, I’ll have to make Krissa think the research came from me. I don’t want to lie to her, but it may come down to that if we can’t find another option.
Chapter Thirty
Krissa
The drive home from Griffin’s house is silent except for the low murmur of the radio. I’ve been lost in my own head since we split up outside Griffin’s building. I’m glad Felix convinced me to let him drive because I’m sure if I were behind the wheel right now I’d run a red light—or worse. I keep going over different scenarios in my head, but no matter how I slice it the end result remains the same: Crystal needs magic if we’re going to get this information. And I don’t mean energy that’s been charged into herbs and stones, like she’s been using. The charm bags she and Dana were using today were the strongest I could make, but they were no match for Bess when she tried to connect.
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