by Nissa Leder
I wrap my fingers around the back of his head and pull his mouth to mine.
Sparks rush through my veins as his body weight presses me into the bookshelf behind me.
I can still taste the sweetness of wine on his breath. His mouth moves to my neck, nibbling on the sensitive spot just above my collar bone.
The last thing I want is for anything to stop us, but when his lips leave my skin, I can sense that something has changed.
His hands leave me as he takes three steps back. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
I adjust my skirt, pulling it down to where it belongs. “It was a mutual act.”
Keeping his distance, he wipes his mouth. “Zane has been a better friend to me these last nine months than anyone has my entire life.”
At first, I think he’s changing the subject to keep things from getting awkward, but then I understand. “You don’t want to go after someone he likes.”
“The situation is actually a bit humorous. I slept with you before I even met Zane, but since he can’t ever know that, I’m stuck letting you go or being an asshole to my first true friend. If you can even call him that. What kind of friend am I when everything I’ve told him about myself is a lie?”
“When did we wind up on some crazy soap opera?” I laugh. “I don’t know about you, but I need another drink.”
“I always knew you were a smart girl.”
Seven
Around midnight, Beck and Elaine find us and we all ride back to Wicklow. Lucas had offered for us all to stay the night, but Beck said he had a lot of homework to do so he wanted to get back.
Considering it’s only the first week, I doubt he actually has much homework to do at all. But according to Olivia, tomorrow is the day the Mystics are meeting to decide who they plan to honor with invitations to their oh-so-exclusive club.
There is no more kissing between Callum and me, but it isn’t for a lack of desire. Neither of us risks getting too close to each other, and this time on the ride back, he stays as close to the door as he can get.
The next day, the first thing I think of when I wake up is that tonight, I’m supposed to use my secret key and go back to the forest.
It’s a stupid idea on more than one level. And one I’m pretty sure I should talk myself out of.
But between the curiosity and the fear that if I don’t show up something bad will happen, I’m not sure what choice I have.
I’d considered telling Callum about my grandma’s request. But after our moment together last night, I think some space between us is good. He’s right. If Zane learned I turned him down only to make out with his friend, it would hurt him more than I already have. And that’s the last thing I want.
Plus, there are a thousand other reasons getting involved with Callum is a bad idea.
I spend all of Saturday playing mental tennis with myself.
Going to the forest is a stupid idea.
But if I don’t, then I can’t learn what’s wrong with me now.
But if I do, the creature might eat me.
If it eats me, then at least I won’t have to deal with these weird symptoms…
Sitting on my bed against my headboard, I text Olivia to see if she wants to hang out. Some distraction could be really good. But she doesn’t answer. I’m sure she’s probably hanging out with Jake or something. I wonder if the Mystics have decided who to honor with an invite to their group.
When she doesn’t answer, I consider checking on Zane. But I don’t want him to ask how last night went and to have to lie to him, so instead, I send a quick text that I hope his ankle is feeling better. I pull up Callum’s name, hovering my finger over the message button.
I give in and press it. I’m about to type hey when I stop myself, groan, and toss my phone to the edge of my bed.
The rest of the day drags on. I get dinner alone at six, take a walk through the courtyard, then return to the boredom that is my room. I settle on watching Friends reruns until eleven thirty. With no more time left to waver, I grab the skeleton key I found last semester and head to the basement.
Every step, my pulse races a little faster. I pass a group of girls walking up the stairs. They’re laughing and talking about how awesome the academy is. Must be first years.
Like last time, the door I need is hidden behind a plain door. I swing the first open door open to reveal the maroon one, bedazzled with bronze accents to make it look like it belongs in a fairytale. My hand shakes as I stick the key into the hole. Once it’s inserted, I hear the click and pull the door open.
The dark corridor appears, and now that I’m alone, it’s even freakier than last time.
I take a deep inhale and release it slowly. With a raised palm, I extend my arm and create a burst of flames to light my way.
Okay, I can do this.
I can do this.
I can do this.
I repeat the mantra as I walk down the creepy tunnel.
Maybe this has all been some strange figment of my imagination. I’ll get to the hut and there will be no one there. It’s all been some deep secret desire to have the grandma I never had, triggered by Bianca’s confession last school year.
The flat ground begins to tilt uphill. Soon, a breeze of fresh air blows against my skin. Ten steps later, I’m standing in the middle of the forest.
Trees stand tall around me like giants huddled together to keep warm. I tug my cardigan around my body as a chill runs through me. I’m not sure if it’s from nerves of the iciness of the wind. I hadn’t expected it to be so cold out.
Not wanting to wind up something’s dinner, I hurry toward the hut. When I get to the door, I hesitate. What if this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done? Before I have the chance to change my mind, the door swings open.
“Come in, dear,” a scratchy voice says.
I. Can. Do. This.
Just like in my last dream, my grandma sits in a rocking chair made of bone in the center of the room. A cauldron filled with green light glows in front of her, casting an eerie luminescence across her pale skin.
I scan the room for the creature.
“I thought it might be best we meet alone this time,” she says, never taking her eyes off of me. She waves her right hand and a stool slides across the floor, stopping on the opposite side of the cauldron. “Sit, please.”
I step around the stool and take a seat. It creaks beneath my weight but manages to hold me. “You’re really still alive.”
After a year full of surprises, I think this one tops them all.
She wraps her hands around the ends of the arms of the chair, which by the looks of it, are made from femur bones. “Yes, child. Despite what your grandfather might tell the world, I’m still here.”
A howl in the distance makes me jump. Although similar, it isn’t from a dog or wolf. It’s deeper than any animal I’ve ever heard.
“My beast has just made his first kill of the night.” She closes her eyes and smiles.
This is getting freakier by the minute. “Why did you want me to come?”
She opens her eyes again and focuses on me. “Does a grandmother not deserve to meet her grandchild?”
“That can’t be the only reason.” I’m not an idiot. She isn’t some elderly woman eager for the granddaughter relationship she never had. There has to be something else.
“Wendigos are interesting creatures. Wild by nature but at their best when they bond with a Sorcerer.” A layer of pink coats her eyes. “Right now he’s eating the organs of his kill.” With a blink, her eyes return to their normal color. She licks her lips.
I shiver. “And what does that have to do with me?” Coming here was a mistake. I expected her to be freaky, but this is more than I can handle. I need to get out of here as soon as I can.
“What connects us is our blood. And it seems that, though rare, my beast possesses the ability to connect to my entire bloodline. All he needed was to make the connection.”
I remember the heat my body felt
when my eyes met the creature’s. It was a strange sensation, but I’d been so focused on saving Zane, I didn’t think much about it.
“That’s why I’ve been feeling off lately.” The pieces fit together, and I’m not sure to be thankful I know what has been happening to me or fearful of what it all means.
“He can sense your emotion and feed you his through the link you share. Sometimes, he can even see what you see.” My grandma stretches out her fingers. “Which means we are connected too, child.” She pulls her right knee over her left and straightens her posture. “I can feel the magic in you. There’s more than there should be. Why?”
I open my mouth to spew some lie, but when I try to speak, nothing comes out.
“Now, now. Don’t forget I can sense your emotions. Lying to me will do you no good,” she says. “Let’s try again.”
“There was a trial at school,” I blurt, thankful to have the use of my voice again. “I made it through, so I doubled my magic.”
“Interesting.” She taps the arm of the chair.
Why did I come here? There’s so little I know about the Sorcery world, and even with more magic, I still have no chance of protecting myself against anyone who knows what they’re doing.
“Calm down, child. I can hear your heart fluttering like a hummingbird. I have no intention of hurting you.”
“Can I go then?” I will myself to stand, but I’m paralyzed in place.
My grandmother stands up. Her loose black cloak and dress hang sloppily on her thin body as she walks around the cauldron. When she’s reached me, she bends down until our faces are on the same level.
“You would be a lovely snack for my beast, but I am not so far gone I’d sacrifice my own granddaughter, no matter how much magic runs through your veins.” She tucks my hair behind my ear. “Be strong, child. The Sorcery world isn’t always what it seems.” She returns to her chair, and once she’s seated, releases her hold on me.
I don’t ask if I can go. Instead, I get up and rush out of the door as fast as I can, sprinting until I’m back in the academy, safe.
Eight
Of all the crazy weekends I’ve had in my life, this one surpasses them all. I used to think getting drunk, playing a wild game of truth or dare, and finding myself waking up next to a hot college guy constituted as wild, but nothing even remotely compares to meeting my dark Sorcerer of a grandma.
Somehow, she was both incredibly freaky and strangely endearing. I mean, if you can call anyone who gets pleasure from her pet eating something’s organs endearing.
Her warning to me about the Sorcery world branded itself into my thoughts. I have no misconceptions about her trustworthiness. She didn’t hurt me this time, but clearly something changed her, making her unpredictable. But her reminder to be careful with everyone in this world resonates with me.
I don’t hear from Olivia all weekend. My text to her Sunday evening goes unanswered, and I’m starting to worry.
She finally texts me back Monday morning as I’m changing into my uniform, telling me she’ll be to my room in five minutes.
Almost to the second, there’s a knock at my door. I finish pulling my hair up into a bun before answering.
“You’re alive,” I joke as Olivia steps into my room.
“Sorry, I had a busy weekend.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and stares at me awkwardly. With a glance at the hallway, my door closes. “I’m supposed to be sworn to secrecy, but I can’t keep it in anymore. I got into the Mystics.” She claps her hands and smiles. “Which I mean, isn’t as exciting since you didn’t.” She tries to subdue her good mood, but it’s clear how elated she is.
“I’m happy for you,” I say. “Seriously, don’t feel bad for me. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
Olivia steps in front of my dresser mirror and adjusts her skirt. “How was your weekend?”
“Uneventful.” A lie if I’ve ever told one. But I haven’t told her anything about last semester’s excursion to the forest or the repercussions it bore. And the last thing I want to do is ruin her mood.
I slip on some boots and we head out of my room.
Elaine walks toward us so we wait for her. “Any idea what it’s about?”
“What what’s about?” Olivia asks.
“The assembly the whole school is attending this morning.” She glances in between us, realizing neither of us has a clue what she’s talking about. “From the e-mail we got yesterday.”
“I haven’t checked my e-mail since Friday,” I say. Between the party at my grandpas and meeting my grandma, e-mail has been the last thing on my mind.
“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Elaine says. “We’re all supposed to meet at the gym instead of our usual first-period classes.”
When we make it to the stairs, things are moving slower than normal. And it only gets worse the closer we get to the gym. Eight o’clock comes, the time first period is supposed to start, and we’re still only halfway down the hallway to the gym.
Eventually, when we’ve all filed into the gym, chairs are set up across the court, but Olivia, Elaine, and I sit on the bleachers.
Dean Waters waits behind the podium at the front, and once it seems everyone is there, speaks. “Welcome, everyone. Thank you for being here bright and early as requested. As you know, the Sorcery election will be taking place next spring. The right to vote is sacred, and something no one should take lightly. Wicklow has always encouraged students to be active in the political process, which is why our guest is here today.”
I hadn’t heard anything about Lucas visiting us again, so I’m surprised by the out-of-normal assembly.
I’m confused when I see a man I don’t recognize come from the guy’s locker room and take Dean Waters’ spot at the microphone. He’s average across the board. Average height. Average weight. Even his looks are average. His dark hair has been combed back, showing off his thick brows and narrow eyes.
Two security guards follow him. Then a woman in a gray pencil skirt and matching jacket exits the ladies’ locker room. She must be his assistant or something. Behind her, Bianca follows.
She’s dressed in a black bandage dress paired with a white blazer and white heels. Her hair is pulled up into a perfect bun. If she had on some glasses, she’d look like a stereotypical seductive assistant.
Another look at the man behind the podium, and I can’t miss the resemblance. Although he is much plainer than she is, he must be her father.
“I’d like to thank you all for being here this morning. Some of you might know me from my news show The Nightly Conjure, but for those of you who don’t, let me tell you a little about myself. I’m Bartley Pruitt. My family has gone to Wicklow for many generations, and I, too, attended this outstanding academy. Here, I learned the importance of friendship while I honed my magical skills. Like you, I was too busy with classes and parties to think much about the structure of the Sorcery world, but soon after graduation, my eyes were opened.
“When I graduated, my family name brought me endless opportunities. But some of my friends weren’t so lucky. They weren’t born with the connections I was.”
As he talks, my attention wanders to Bianca. She’s standing five feet to his right, her hands crossed in front of her body as she stares into the crowd. She looks different than before. Paler maybe? No, I don’t think that’s it.
Sad. Like she’s empty inside.
Which, how could she not be?
Here she is, back at Wicklow without magic. She’s having to face a crowd that includes the very people who now hold something she was born with.
“Which is why I’m going to be running for Sorcery President,” Mr. Pruit says.
I missed half of what he just said, but I just heard that part loud and clear.
“He’s going to run against your grandpa,” Elaine says. “This guy’s platform is not going to make Mr. Jacobsen very happy.”
I still don’t have a good sen
se of how things go in this world. In the Ordinary world, every election there are always two candidates. I’m not sure what’s normal for a Sorcery election.
“You all are of voting age, and I hope that you’ll see that my campaign will bring much-needed change to our society.” He closes his eyes and dips his chin. “Thank you for your time.” Then he leaves the podium and heads straight into the locker room, his guards trailing him like dogs following their master.
The assistant woman goes the opposite direction and Bianca is right behind her.
“Bianca looked—” Elaine starts.
“—devastated,” I finish. “Do you think since our group beat hers, we have part of her magic in us? Or do you think it was all pooled together and split randomly?”
It’s such an odd question, and one I’d never even thought about until now. But seeing her today has brought back the dirty feeling I had right after my magic doubled. The urge to take a shower overwhelms me, not that it would do any good. The impurity I feel isn’t something that can be washed off. It’s deep inside, swirling with the best part of me. How can I feel good about my magic now that it’s tainted with someone else’s?
“Guess we better all head to dueling,” Olivia says as the gym empties around us.
When I glance around the room, I notice most of us remaining are all second years. Near the back of the chair section, Zane and Callum are sitting together, both staring blankly ahead. As if feeling my stare, Callum’s gaze finds me. There’s no sign of his usual cocky smirk.
He, more than anyone, knows what it’s like to be the reason someone else doesn’t have magic.
Olivia gets up first and heads to the bleacher stairs. Elaine and I follow, neither of us saying anything.
I’d be lying to say I’m not grateful to have won our battle against Bianca. I thought I’d get used to the extra magic in me. That it was something that would only feel wrong for a while until our new reality eventually set in.
But I don’t feel right.
And I don’t know that I ever will.
Nine