In Shadows of Magic

by Alison F. Prince

  Licinia wailed in agony. No longer able to maintain her footing, she collapsed in the wet dirt. She clawed at the earth, her tortured cries reverberating through the darkness. Teeth clenched and face scrunched, she slowly lifted her head. Her blonde hair was coated with dirt, face streaked with mud, ash, and rain. Sinister black eyes bored into Brianna's. "This…is…not…over," Licinia choked out between gasps of anguish. In an instant, she disappeared in a cloud of dust.

  Licinia was gone. They had won—for now, at least. Brianna raced to where her twin lay and knelt beside her. Logan was already there. He leaned down and kissed Mandy's cheeks, forehead, chin, and lips. She kissed him back.

  "Mandy! You're alive! You're okay!" Tears of joy poured down Brianna's cheeks.

  "Yes," Mandy said. "Thanks to this hero." She stared into Logan's shining amber eyes.

  "Am I dreaming?" Logan asked. "Have I been playing too many video games?"

  "I know this is a lot for you to take in. Your bravery was truly amazing," Renee said. "Thank you so much. You saved all of our lives. We all owe you."

  "No big deal," Logan said. "You guys saved mine, too. I think we're even."

  "You are an incredible human. Is there anything I can offer you? Money? Power? Immortality?" Adam asked.

  "Nah, I think I'm okay for now. I would like tickets to your next concert, though."

  Everyone burst out laughing. "Done," Adam said.

  "She's breathing," Maeve said. Everyone turned in the direction of her voice. Maeve was bent over Valerie's limp body.

  "What happened?" Brianna asked, thinking back. Logan had struck Valerie in the knees, and she had crumpled to the ground. It didn't make sense that she should be unconscious.

  "She was using magic against us during the final battle. She exhausted herself," Maeve answered as she placed her forefinger on Valerie's throat. "I can feel a pulse. She will be fine."

  "We need to do an evulsion," Renee said. "It's dangerous for Valerie to have that kind of power. Mandy, the power is yours. It should be returned to you."

  "I don't want any power," Mandy said.

  "You need it. Licinia will seek vengeance. I don't want you to be vulnerable like that again," Brianna said.

  Her sister shook her head. "I don't want it. I'm done with all of that."

  "Mandy, I know how you feel." Brianna's expression was earnest. "But it's different now. You will have less power you had before. I still have the rest. You can use your powers only when it's necessary."

  Mandy hesitated. "Are you sure I will be able to shut it off?"

  "Yes. I promise."

  "Powers can be invaluable in dangerous situations." Renee spoke in her soft, melodic tone. "Other than that, you will never have to use them."

  Mandy nodded. "Okay, I'll do it then. What do we have to do?"

  "First we need a lock of hair." Maeve ripped a chunk out of Valerie's scalp. "A drop of blood." Maeve retrieved a small wood-handled switchblade from her jean's pocket. She flicked it open and sliced Valerie's palm.

  "Black candles?" Brianna asked.

  Renee reached into her large tan backpack. "I brought some. After I found out Valerie had stolen power, I figured that was the source of the problem. I came prepared to perform an evulsion." She arranged the black candles in a circle on the wet ground.

  "What about something she loves?" Brianna asked.

  "That's easy," Maeve said. "We all have it. Supernatural power."

  When Brianna tilted her chin upward, she noticed that the rain had stopped falling. An almost full moon surrounded by stars shone in the midnight sky. "The moon isn't entirely full,” Brianna said.

  "A waxing gibbous," Renee replied. "Close enough. With all of our energy and concentration, we can still make it happen."

  Everyone sat in a circle around Mandy. "What's going on?" Logan asked. "What am I supposed to do?"

  "There is great power in your feelings for Mandy. Imagine wrapping them around her. Blanket her with them. It should help keep her safe and comfortable during the transfer of power," Renee said.

  Logan nodded. "I can do that." As Mandy tried to sit up, she winced in pain and released a low moan.

  "Just lie down," Renee said. "It's okay." Mandy nodded and lowered herself back to the earth.

  After Mandy repeated the incantation, her face began to glow with a soft, golden light. The light spread from her face, through her core, and into her extremities. Her expression was peaceful and serene as her entire body illuminated. A few minutes later, the light faded.

  "Are you okay, Mandy?" Brianna asked.

  "I'm great! The energy felt so soothing." She sprang up to a seated position. "Ouch! Oh, I forgot my injuries."

  "Let's get her out of the rain and to the hospital," Renee said. "She took quite a beating."

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Logan carried Mandy down the mountain and placed her in the passenger seat of his car. The rest of the group traveled in the limo.

  Mandy shuddered, and Logan raised the temperature on the heat control. "Quite a night, huh?" he said.

  "A crazy one, but you're unbelievable." Hot air blasted her face and the shivers subsided.

  "Thanks." He placed his hand on her leg. "I'm just so glad you're safe."

  Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of Northern Jersey's Medical Center. Logan unbuckled his seatbelt.

  "Wait," Mandy said. "So do you still want to be with me, now that you know I'm a witch?"

  "I'm not going to lie. I'm freaked out, but of course I still like you. Mandy… I'm in love with you."

  Mandy could feel his affection surging through her. Ripples of delight made her body quiver. Her heart fluttered, full of bliss. She had never felt so much. Had never known she could. She didn't need supernatural powers. Logan's love was a magic all of its own.

  "I'm in love with you, too," Mandy breathed. Logan's eyes sparkled and shined, like bronze and gold fireworks exploding in an amber sky. He pressed his lips against hers.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  In the hospital waiting room, Sabrina McKinney rushed over to her daughters and their posse, her eyes wide with concern. "What is going on here? Are you okay?" Every member of their group was drenched and streaked with mud.

  "We're okay," Brianna said. "Mandy needs medical attention."

  Sabrina gripped her daughters' wrists and ushered them to an empty room. As she checked Mandy's vitals, she demanded answers. "What happened?"

  Brianna started from the beginning. Sabrina remained quiet throughout the entire story. Her expressions ranged from concern to disapproval to happiness when Renee's identity was revealed. In the end, pride registered on her face.

  "I'm sorry, Mandy. I still have no idea why the evulsion worked," Brianna said.

  "I do," her sister replied.

  "Did you love that silver ring?" Brianna asked.

  Mandy laughed, then grimaced and clutched her stomach. "No, silly! I love you. I always have."

  Now it all made sense. The ring hadn't acted as the thing Mandy loved most. It was Bri herself. "I love you, too. Nothing ever changed that," Brianna said.

  "That's quite a story," Sabrina said. "I'm not going to scold you for your mistakes because you have already learned from them. And it warms my heart to see you two together again."

  Brianna put her arm over her twin's shoulder. "This is what you're going to continue to see now and forever."

  Mandy nodded in agreement. "Nothing can ever come between us, again."

  ****

  While the doctor examined Mandy, Sabrina approached Renee in the waiting room. "It's so great to see you," Sabrina greeted her. "You look so healthy, grown, and so beautiful. Thank you for looking out for my daughters."

  "You’re welcome. All these years I hoped that I would have the opportunity to repay you for the heroic way you saved my life. Now, I have been doubly blessed by your daughters’ friendship and the chance to show you my gratitude. I will continue to watch out for you an
d your family, tonight and always."

  ****

  Mandy was diagnosed with four fractured ribs. By the time she was discharged from the hospital, it was late—or early, depending on one's point of reference. Sabrina clocked out of work to take her daughters’ home. Renee and Maeve were invited to spend the night at the McKinney home. The girls said goodnight to the boys and Charlotte in the hospital parking lot.

  "Let's all sleep in the same room," Brianna suggested during the ride home. "We can make it like a slumber party."

  "Whenever everyone wakes up, I'll prepare a breakfast feast," Sabrina said.

  "That sounds wonderful," Renee said.

  The girls slept in Mandy's room so she could be as comfortable as possible in her own bed. After popping her prescribed painkillers, Mandy quickly fell into a deep slumber. Brianna laid pillows and blankets on the carpet for herself and her guests.

  "I know we're not supposed to, but if all three of us combine our powers, it shouldn't be too draining," Brianna said.

  Renee and Maeve thought it over for a moment, and then agreed. The three witches hovered over the sleeping redhead. Brianna pushed the energy from her core to the surface. Her hands warmed as power surged into her fingertips. Concentrating, she laid her palms over her twin’s broken ribs. Renee and Maeve placed their hands on top of hers.

  After a few moments, Renee stopped them. "That's enough," she whispered. "She will wake up in the morning feeling much better. I’m ready go to sleep. It’s been a crazy night. I’m exhausted."

  “Me too.” Brianna curled up under her blanket on the floor. She could hear the steady rhythm of Renee’s breaths beside her as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Sixty

  "Did you hear about Valerie Baron?" Alise asked as she unwrapped her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was a week later, and the sun was shining on the courtyard outside Montmorrow High School.

  "From what I heard, she's locked up in a loony bin!" Eva said. "Does anyone know what happened?"

  "I heard she tried to kill her mother," Dave said. "She was swinging a knife around and barely missed. Her father and brother had to hold her down until the men in the white coats showed up."

  "I heard she broke every window, picture, and television in her entire house," Liz said, her hazel eyes like saucers.

  "I heard she wrote 'loser' in red all over the walls of her room. Some people said it was blood," Kerri said.

  "Creepy." Pat's green complexion indicated that he might lose his lunch.

  Logan, Mandy, and Brianna shared a knowing look but remained quiet.

  A tall, gorgeous brunette exited the side door of Montmorrow High School. Tan, flawless skin glistened in the sun. Her blue-green eyes sparkled. The swelling around her mouth and chin had lessened dramatically over the past week. Giselle was as beautiful as ever, as she strutted through the courtyard with Penny on her heels. As the popular girls strolled past, the twins could overhear their conversation.

  "Valerie won't stop calling me!" Giselle complained.

  "What is she saying?" Penny asked.

  "Just all kinds of crazy things about witches and vampires. She keeps going on about how Mandy is a witch, and that she was the one who caused my car to crash. She suggested I get even by running her over in the parking lot! Like I would ever intentionally destroy my precious convertible! It took weeks for the body shop to finish the repairs after the last accident."

  Even in the spring heat, Mandy shivered. Logan put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and kissed her cheek. Brianna squeezed her sister's hand underneath the picnic table.

  Penny laughed. "Valerie lost her mind."

  "Good thing she's not getting out of there any time this decade. Her mother is pressing charges for vandalism and attempted murder," Giselle said.

  "Will Valerie ever give up?" Mandy spoke softly so that only Logan and Brianna could hear.

  "Hopefully she gets the help she needs in the institution," Brianna said.

  "I'll never let anyone hurt you," Logan promised.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  "That was awesome!" Dave said.

  "Oh, yes!" Pat shouted from behind his drum set. "We are so ready for the Battle of the Bands!"

  Brianna's eyes gleamed with pride. They had been practicing every day for the past five weeks, and their efforts showed.

  "Only three days away!" Eva's smile spread across her face.

  "And we still don't have a band name," Pat said.

  "We have to come up with something. It's got to be cool. I want it to say something about us," Dave said.

  "How about Pat, Dave, and Two Hot Chicks?" Pat asked.

  "In your dreams, buster!" Eva slapped his skinny shoulder. "How about Two Beautiful and Intelligent Women Who Will Rule the World and—"

  "Don't finish that," Dave said. "Let's be real. Think about who we are, what we represent."

  "It should say something about our friendship. That we all love and accept each other for who we are. The sound of our music represents each and every one of us, unique and distinct, but blended together in perfect harmony," Eva said.

  "Aww," Dave mocked, and his girlfriend jabbed him in the gut with her pinky. He kissed her on the cheek. "Just kidding, babe. That sounds great. We all accept each other for who we are."

  "And that's saying a lot!" Pat laughed. "We got one crazy feminist, one—"

  "Did you just call me a crazy feminist? Just because I advocate equality between the sexes does not make me crazy!" Eva said.

  Brianna laughed. "Oh, enough, guys! I like what you're saying, Eva. We're real people. We aren't faking or trying to be something we're not. We are authentic."

  "Authentic. I like that." Pat said.

  "It's a start." Dave said. He wore a contemplative expression on his face.

  "What about the friendship part?" Eva asked.

  "How about we call our band BFF?" Dave teased.

  "Forever…" Brianna was thinking. "Like limitless. Not just in our friendships, but in our abilities as musicians. If we work hard, we can take our talent to infinite levels. How do you like the word 'infinite'?"

  "I like it a lot!" Eva said. "Infinite Authentics? Authentic Infinity?"

  "What if we combined the words? We can make our own word. Like Infinthentics?" Pat absently tapped his drumstick against his knee.

  "Or Authenfinity?" Dave said. Once the words escaped his lips, Brianna knew that was it. The members of Authenfinity nodded at one another.

  "We have a band name! Group hug!" Brianna said. The four friends embraced.

  "Okay, now back to practice. Authenfinity has their debut performance in three short days," Pat said.

  ****

  When Brianna returned home, her twin was seated at the kitchen table. Three rolls of fabric were laid out next to a shiny new sewing machine. "What's all this?" Brianna asked.

  "I've developed a real interest in fashion design. I'm getting started on my first project," Mandy said.

  Brianna examined the fabrics—black silk, red velvet, and crimson lace. "Wow, these are so nice."

  Mandy appeared pleased. "I'm glad you like them, because I'm making you a mini-dress."

  "Awesome! Thank you. I'm excited. Do you think it will be ready in time for the Battle of the Bands?"

  Mandy shook her head. "I'm still learning how to operate this sewing machine. I would need supernatural powers get it done that fast."

  "Well…" Brianna started, half kidding.

  "No way! I'm doing this for real. With my own two hands and hard work."

  Brianna understood. "I will be grateful whenever it's finished." She crossed the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Their mother was working a double shift today. She would appreciate it if the family meal was ready when she got home. "I'm going to get started on dinner."

  "Need any help?" Mandy asked.

  "Sure, but not if you're in the middle of sewing."

  "I'll work on it later," Mandy said. Together, the
twins began preparing pork chops, sweet potatoes, and fluffy biscuits.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  "I'm so nervous!" Eva whispered. Authenfinity was lined up backstage, waiting their turn to perform. "Do I look okay?"

  Brianna examined the lead singer. She wore a white top that read Girl Power! in purple letters and a purple plaid micro-mini. Large silver skulls dangled from her ears. "You look phenomenal," Brianna said.

  "Is my hair okay?" Dave asked. "I used a whole bottle of gel." His blue-and-green-striped Mohawk stood up at least seven straight inches.

  "It looks great, babe," Eva said.

  Pat's notoriously frizzy crop of orange hair was as wild as ever. "How does my do look tonight?" he quipped, pretending to smooth his unruly locks.

  The group laughed, releasing some of their anxiety.

  The announcer's voice boomed through a microphone. "With Eva Hernandez on vocals, Brianna McKinney on guitar, David Ferraro on bass guitar, and Patrick Mahoney on the drums, let's give a warm welcome to our next band, Authenfinity!"

  Brianna's heart beat harder with each step. She took her place on stage and strapped her guitar over her blue tiger print halter-top. Pat clapped his drumsticks together, one, two, three times, and then they started to play.

  Motor memory from months of practice made Brianna's fingers feel like they were moving magically across her guitar strings. Dave strummed his bass with impeccable precision. Pat struck the drums in perfect tempo. Eva's voice was rich with emotion, sending chills down Brianna's spine.

  As she played, Brianna swung her long, loose hair. For the first time, she bravely gazed out at the audience. The crowd danced and swayed to the sound of Authenfinity. As the song reached its crescendo, Dave jumped and rocked wildly, his enthusiasm revving up the crowd. At the end of their performance, the audience exploded into applause.