by A. N. Sage
“Girl, are you kidding? I live in Shadowhurst! I’m just surprised you’re the first witch we had around here.”
I bit my lower lip. “Yeah, about that…”
“Oh, god! Don’t tell me, there’s more of you.”
“No, I mean, yeah, but that’s not what I’m saying. The murders, I’m pretty sure a witch is killing these kids.”
Peyton’s gaze darkened. “How do you know?”
“Just the way the bodies were left and then when I found that girl in the library, I could smell peach wood everywhere.”
“And peach wood is bad?”
“Peach wood is very, very bad. Whoever this witch is, she’s trouble and she’s sucking the energy from these kids. But I don’t know why. And then River’s friends found the same hints of magic in the other crime scenes so I know it has to be—”
“Wait one minute!” My friend held her hand up to shut me up. “River knows about this?”
“Um, actually…” I breathed out. “Good thing you’re sitting cause there’s more. River and some of his friends are witch hunters.”
“SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!” Peyton screamed and jumped up. “There are witch hunters?!?”
“There’s lots of things,” I sighed. “But that’s not the point. The point is that he confirmed my suspicions about the bodies being related and that magic is involved. I need to find this witch before she hurts anyone else.”
“Wait, are all witches chicks?”
I smiled and nodded. “Always have been. No clue why, so don’t ask.”
“Noted. So River is a witch hunter and you’re a witch. You haven’t told him yet, have you?”
“Obvi, not!” I hollered. “I’d be tied to a stake by now if I did. Though I’m not sure that’s how they would even kill witches these days. From what he told me, the whole hunter thing sounds like an after school club for him and his friends. I doubt any of them would know what to do with a witch if they met one. My kind has done a pretty decent job at staying off the radar so whatever River and his friends know, it’s what they could find from those books their ancestors left behind. Which isn’t much, you’ve seen them yourself. Anyway, no, I haven’t told him and I’m not going to so you have to keep your mouth shut. About all of this.”
Peyton made a crossing motion across her heart and lowered to sit next to me. Her eyes sparkled in excitement and I could tell she was not done quizzing me about magic and my people just yet. “Wow. A witch and witch hunter. You guys are like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet!”
“Yeah, no. No, thanks. I have no interest in River Hunting.”
“Ha!”
“Oh, shut up!” I pushed her over and shot a death stare.
“No, that’s not it,” Peyton chuckled, getting back up. “Just you know, River Hunting is a hunter. Kinda funny. Cause of his last name.”
I grimaced and fisted my hands. I could see where she was going with this but it wasn’t funny at all; at least not to me.
“And don’t think you have me fooled with your ‘no, thank you’s’ and your ‘I don’t like him’ garbage. You totally have the hots for him.”
“I can’t, Peyton. He is the last person I should have any kinda hots for.”
“I get it, B. That sucks.”
She crossed her legs in her lap and inched closer to me. Her hands reached for mine and she squeezed them so tight I started to sweat. “I got your back, B. No matter what, we’re friends.”
Tears burnt at my eyes and I did my best to smile. Across from me, Peyton smiled from ear to ear and her excitement made me want to wrap her in a hug so tight she’d burst. Correction, I did that exactly. I squeezed Peyton so hard that I could feel her heartbeat against my own. A sob choked deep in my throat and I cursed the High Coven for making me live with this secret for so long. Humans weren’t as judgmental as they made them out to be and Peyton was proof of that. They weren’t scared of the unknown, some of them embraced it with excitement and open arms. All the worry I had about telling my best friend the truth melted away and I smiled like a psycho while pulling her closer.
After a few minutes too many, Peyton shifted in my embrace and I let her go. She wiggled her eyebrows. “So, show me more of this badass magic you got in them veins!”
An Impossible Situation
Sweat beaded on my forehead and poured down my neck and chest as I ran laps around the never-ending track that circled the baseball field of the academy. I have spent my fair share of life running, both in coven training and during shadower patrols, but I surprised even myself by how much stamina I still had left. This was my first gym class at school and to my relief, I was in decent enough shape to give the rest of these girls a run for their money. I had already run circles around Savannah whose eyes shot daggers my way each time I passed her. Not far behind me, Peyton moaned and shouted obscenities as we sped by the TA who seemed to be more interested in his phone than making sure none of us passed out from exhaustion. He was older than me by only a few years but the stubble on his pointed chin and the grease in his hair suggested those few years meant everything to him. This guy was the type of dude I avoided back in Stamwick and unfortunately, the kind that gravitated toward me like a bug to a net. The TA looked up from his phone as I jogged by and flashed me a sleazy grin.
Ew. Uh-uh. Keep your eyes to yourself!
I rolled my eyes before turning to run back to face Peyton. Her face was puffy and heavy breathing replaced her usually perky attitude. My smile widened and I gave her two thumbs up which were reciprocated with yet another curse word; this one louder and directed straight at the TA.
A laugh escaped me and I turned back, sprinting to the finish line.
My legs pumped faster than my speeding heartbeat as I jumped over the line and skidded to a stop. Wiping the sweat off my brow, I waited for Peyton to catch up which took an unbearable amount of time. Pretty much everyone got there before my best friend.
By the time she made it, I had already cooled off and was downing my second bottle of water.
“Thanks for joining us,” I teased when she approached.
Beside me, Peyton looked destroyed. She bent over her thighs and heaved so loud it sounded more like growling. Her hand shot up when I opened my mouth to speak and she took a few more deep breaths before peeling herself up to face me. “That was brutal. That guy is a total dick, by the way.” She shot a side-eye in the TA’s direction. “Yeah, I’m talking about you, Warner! Don’t think I won’t remember this!”
“Okay…” I wrapped an arm around my sweaty friend and pulled her away. “Let’s kick it down a notch before he makes us do another lap.”
“I’d like to see him try!” She shouted.
We’d only taken a couple of steps when someone’s shoulder knocked against mine and I turned to see Savannah and her two hyenas, Abigail and Morgan, glaring at me. As always, Savannah’s gym outfit looked more like something you’d see in a club than on the field and I didn’t fail to notice that half her ass was hanging out of her high cut shorts.
“Watch where you’re going, new kid!” She scoffed and turned away from me.
“Cool, cool, cool,” I said, glowering at her exposed flesh. “Careful you don’t miss the corner calling you when it’s time for your shift.”
“What did you just say to me?” Savannah flipped on her heels and marched toward me. Her curls bounced behind her back and I could see the lines on her forehead deepen when she approached. I shot her a death glare but Savannah’s useless expression made me quickly realize that the idiot wouldn’t get my point if it fell on her face, slapped her raw, and shaved off her eyebrows.
Behind her, Morgan flipped her long, red ponytail back and forth. “I think she just called you a hooker… Epic burn!”
Savannah hissed at her friends and the hyenas scurried away to join the rest of the class by the water coolers. “Watch yourself, new kid. River’s not around to back you up over here.”
Peyton chuckled. “Girl, if you think she needs bac
kup, you’re in for a rude awakening!”
My eyes narrowed at my friend but I kept my mouth shut; something I was hoping Peyton might do sooner rather than later.
“Run along to your little friends, Savannah. No one has time for your bullshit right now.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but I turned away, smacking her in the face with my braid as I did. I reached for Peyton’s hand and stormed off, racing to the bleachers that spanned around the field a few feet from us. When I was sure we put enough distance between us and the Queen of Hell, I let go of Peyton’s hand and slowed down.
“Yo,” my friend said, “not that I don’t want that fool to know what’s what, but we kind of have to get back to class.”
She nodded in the direction of the other girls who had already started stretching for whatever torture Warner had in store for us next. My lips tightened into a line.
“You go ahead,” I said, “I need to catch my breath for a minute.”
“You’re not letting her get to you, right?”
“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed. “That girl has no clue who she’s dealing with.”
Looking around to make sure we were alone, I dug into my shorts pocket and pulled out a small garnet cluster. My hand fisted around it and I brought my other hand in front of her face. My best friend gasped at the compact ball of fire that danced along my skin. Peyton’s eyes sparkled and she slapped her hands together in glee.
“That’s my girl!” She yelped and turned to run back to the group.
I sucked in air until I couldn’t breathe in anymore then blew it, willing the fire away. My skin felt hot to the touch and I shook my hand in the light wind that blew over the field before stepping into the shade the back of the bleachers offered. The sun was beating down on us for the entire duration of the class and as soon as I rounded the tall rows of seats I felt my body relax. I rested my head to lean back on the wooden planks of the bleachers and closed my eyes.
Something about telling Peyton the truth yesterday changed me. Maybe not as dramatically as I had hoped, but I felt lighter. Less in the shadows somehow which was ironic since I was literally standing in darkness.
“Mind if I join?” A deep voice growled next to me.
I jolted my head straight and turned just as the familiar smell of wood attacked my senses. Beside me, River stood looking as beautiful as ever. His hair was tousled in just the right way and his green eyes tore into me. The shadows the bleachers cast danced across his tanned skin and I found myself unable to look away. Say something… I growled at myself. Say SOMETHING!
My lips parted and I choked on my spit. “Hi, stranger.”
Anything but that… Who even am I right now?
“Sorry to interrupt. I needed a break,” he said and peeled his gaze off me.
“Me too,” I agreed. “That TA sure is something.”
“Who? Warner?” River ducked to peak through the seats. “He’s not so bad. You get used to it.”
“There seems to be a lot I have to get used to around here.”
River looked at me through thick eyelashes and took a step forward. His long legs carried him to me until there were only inches between us. He leaned his elbow on the blank behind me and my toes curled. I could feel the heat rush from his body, finding all the right places on my skin.
“Hey,” he said so quietly I had to lean in to hear, “I wanted to talk to you about what happened after the quarry.”
Oh, Goddess, no. Okay, Billie, be smart. Say nothing, just keep your mouth shut.
“Did you now?” I purred.
Magnificent job.
“Yeah.” He narrowed his eyes my way.
“Which part?”
Ew, what? Why are you still talking???
“The part where I kissed you and you told me to leave. Did I do something wrong? I mean, I know the whole witch hunter thing is a lot to take in, but it’s not really a big deal.”
Not a big deal? You’re must be joking! It’s like the biggest deal ever!
I wanted to get out of there, STAT. But I also didn’t. His body was just so damn close and he smelled so good that I couldn’t force myself to move. Instead, I shifted my weight and leaned in closer. “It’s a little bit of a deal.”
“Something you don’t want in your life?” He asked.
Think, Billie! You can’t say no because then he’ll leave and you’ll kill your only chance of getting to the other hunters. My mind raced as I tried to think of something to say that would encourage but discourage him at the same time. This was an impossible situation and I felt like I was trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube with missing pieces.
“I’m,” I said, “I’m not sure yet. It’s heavy.”
“Take all the time you need. I can be patient.” He brushed the braid over my shoulder and traced the side of my neck with his finger. “But not too patient. I really like you, Billie.”
My entire body exploded. His fingers hovered over my skin and I purposefully leaned into them until his hand cupped my neck. His body tensed and mine followed. As River pressed his hand to the back of my neck, I felt myself move toward him. My chest pressed against his and I rose on the tiptoes of my sneakers until my lips perched just above his chin. River breathed out and my skin tingled as the warmth of him spread over me. My hands pressed to the wood plank, fingernails digging in to keep me steady. Every inch of my body wanted him and I couldn’t think of one good reason to pull away.
“Yo, B! We gotta go, it’s— Oh! Oh, sorry! I… uh…” Peyton’s wide eyes stared us down. “I can come back?”
“NO!” I yelled out and pushed myself away from River. “I mean, it’s fine. We should go. We have that thing!”
“What thing?”
“A thing, just a thing. Right, Peyton?”
Peyton looked between me and River, nodding and shaking her head ‘no’ at the same time. “Right… our thing… A very important thing!”
My best friend snatched my hand and pulled me away from a very confused River. As soon as we were back on the field, I felt like myself again. My skin cooled off and I could form complete sentences.
“Dude! What was that?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I sighed. “He has some freaking pull on me I just can’t shake.”
“Told you.” Peyton winked. “Star-crossed lovers.”
“Okay, enough. Let’s just get out of here before I do something else I regret.”
We beelined for the class and snuck in between a group of girls before Warner, TA douche, could notice us missing. I spent the rest of gym class trying to pay attention but my mind would not let go of River. As soon as I get home, I need to do a repelling spell to get that guy out of my orbit. The problem was, I didn’t think I wanted to which only made my stomach turn more. The High Coven sure made a colossal mistake when they sent me to Shadowhurst; bigger than I wager even they imagined.
I Will Have You
“Earth to Billie!” Peyton yelled out over her shoulder.
Rapidly blinking my eyes, I looked around to see she was a good ten steps away from me and looked as annoyed as ever. Her hair was tied into a miniature top-knot with only her bangs covering her face and it did wonders to bring out the cross expression on her face. She tapped her purple Vans on the sidewalk and continued to glare at me, her arms out wide. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, I think I zoned out there.”
That was the understatement of the century. I didn’t just zone out; I spent the last ten minutes she was talking picturing River’s biceps. What the hell was actually wrong with me? My heart tightened in my chest as I tried to remember what Peyton might have been going on about but I drew a complete blank. All I could see was River and his frustratingly perfect chest. Somehow, I landed myself in the worst-case scenario. Knee deep into a hunter.
“Ya think?” Peyton rolled her eyes and ran back to where I was standing. Her legs sliced through the cool evening air like an ore through water. “I was
saying, we should hit up those books River has and cross-reference them with the ones we got from the Crystal Cauldron.”
“Oh, yeah,” I agreed. “That’s a good idea. You sure you don’t think Ms. Broussard is in on it?”
“Not sure, maybe.”
“So shouldn’t we check her out more?”
Peyton smacked my shoulder and flashed her teeth. “Already one step ahead of you! I got her to invite me over this weekend. I’m going full undercover to see if I can find something in her house that’ll give her away.” She looked at me. “What?”
“Nothing,” I sighed. “It’s an excellent plan. It’s just dangerous. I mean, if she is the killer, I don’t think you should go alone.”
“Well, I’m not taking you with me! You said it yourself, this witch is dangerous. And you will be in deep shit if she’s on to you like you think she is.”
“I guess…” I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. “But I can’t let you risk yourself for this. It’s not fair.”
“Girl, calm your tits. I’ll be fine.”
“Peyton!” I snapped, “There’s a witch on the loose that’s draining the life from students. What makes you think she won’t hesitate to do it to you?”
“Trust me, I’m not her type.”
“What does that even m—”
My voice caught in my throat as an eery sense that we were no longer alone washed over me. My head jerked from side to side, scanning the small side street we were on but I couldn’t see anything around. Shadows crept over the houses that stood on the horizon and I tried to pinpoint our exact location with relation to Peyton’s house. I couldn’t see it from where we stood but at the end of the street towered a massive church which I remembered being just around the corner. We had to be close.
“We should move,” I whispered, eyes still narrowed to the side. “I don’t think we’re alone here.”
“What?” Peyton’s eyes widened and she hooked her arm under my elbow to pull me toward the church. “We can cut through there, it’s right next to my backyard.