Cursed Magic

by Madeline Freeman

  A smile stretches across my lips. So much for Krissa’s happy ending.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Fox

  My eyes are on Krissa’s driveway. Any minute, her parents should be leaving to for their weekly Sunday afternoon date. Jodi is at the shop. One of the reasons Krissa and I have spent the last several Sundays together is because there wasn’t anyone around to wonder where she was for hours on end.

  But she’s not coming to me today—I’m coming to her.

  The cloaking spell I cast around my truck appears to be holding. No less than three dog walkers have passed by and not one has glanced in my direction. Even the dogs have passed by without so much as a sniff.

  I drum my fingers on the steering wheel to get out some of my nervous energy. It’s been days since I’ve spoken to Krissa. Her attendance at school has been hit or miss lately—not that school is the best place to have the kind of conversation I’m aiming for. Our talk on the street the other day didn’t go so well, so another meeting like that is out, too. That leaves me only one choice—this choice. I need to talk to her somewhere private, where we won’t be overheard. We need to get this whole thing straightened out.

  Ben and Amy Barnette exit the house. I’m too far away to tell for sure, but I’m positive they’re smiling. According to Krissa, they’ve been acting like newlyweds. I guess I can’t blame them—they’re making up for lost time, after all. And their penchant for romance is suiting my needs, so I support it fully.

  Once their car pulls out of the driveway and down the street, I open my truck’s door and start for the house, dropping the cloaking spell as I go.

  I could knock, but I don’t want to give her the opportunity to slam the door in my face. I try the handle and smile: it’s unlocked, as always.

  The first floor is quiet. She’s not in the living room or dining room, and she usually only uses the sitting room when the house is full and she wants to be alone. That leaves only one place she could be.

  I ascend the stairs, avoiding the creaky ones out of habit. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been up this flight over the years.

  When I reach the third floor, Krissa is bent over her desk. She’s writing in a notebook that’s too small to be for school. I consider crossing the room and tapping her shoulder, but I’m not sure how she’ll react to that, so I settle for clearing my throat.

  She jumps and spins, closing the notebook as she turns away from it. When her eyes land on me, her expression goes from surprised to upset. “You shouldn’t be here. I thought I made myself clear last time we talked.”

  I take a few steps into her room. “You said you were sick of lying. I am, too. I wanted you to know I ended things with Dana.”

  She stands and brings a hand to her forehead. “You didn’t need to do that.”

  “Yes, I did.” I edge nearer to her. I want to close the distance entirely, but now isn’t the moment. “I don’t love her, Krissa. I love you. I’ve tried fighting it, but I can’t. And you can’t either.” I take another step forward and reach for her, but she pulls away.

  “I’m not fighting anything,” she says, but I detect a tremble in her voice. “I’m with Owen. I chose him. In case you forgot, I ended things with you.”

  Her words sting, but I don’t give up. “’You said that because you’re feeling guilty. I can’t blame you. But you don’t have to be afraid of telling the truth.” I try to catch her eye, but she stares at the floor. “I’m sure you have feelings for him left over from your old reality, but you were never meant to be with him here. You’re supposed to be with me.”

  She shakes her head. “I don’t know how to be any clearer. Me being with you—it was a mistake. It was never what I wanted.”

  I take another step forward and brush my finger under her chin so she’ll look up at me. “I know you love me. You can’t deny it. I know it’s true.”

  She steps back, pain flashing in her eyes. “But I don’t.”

  I flinch, but I’m still not ready to give up. She can’t deny what’s been happening between us these last few weeks. I don’t know why she suddenly has cold feet about us, but her feelings for me can’t have evaporated. She’s conflicted—it’s plain as day on her face. “Then say it. I need to hear the words. If you can say to my face that you don’t care about me at all, I’ll believe you.”

  She opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. Hesitation flickers across her face. This has to be so hard for her. I know she’s a good person, and she must feel loyalty to Owen because he remembers the other reality she experienced, but it’s obvious she still has strong feelings for me. That’s why she can’t say she doesn’t love me. It’s not what’s in her heart.

  Any lingering doubts disappear from my mind. She can’t deny it any more than I can: We’re supposed to be together. I lean down and press my lips to hers.

  “So it’s true,” says a voice.

  Krissa pulls back and we both turn toward the stairs, where Owen is standing, glaring at us.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Krissa

  My mind is spinning. The heat from Fox’s kiss is fresh on my lips and I fight the urge to wipe it away. But even if I did, it wouldn’t erase what Owen just saw.

  “It’s not what you think,” I say quickly. “Let me explain.”

  The anger from a moment ago fades from Owen’s face, replaced by the blank expression of a man struggling to accept reality. “There’s nothing you can say. I didn’t want to believe it, but…”

  Fox is still standing too close to me. He rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, man. I know this won’t mean much, but I never wanted you to find out like this.”

  In a flash, Owen lunges for him, but I’m so close to Fox I’m able to come between them. Behind me, Fox jostles as though he’d like nothing better than to get around me and give Owen the fight he wants. I brace myself for the red smoke of the Influence to begin twisting in on my vision, but it doesn’t come. I don’t even feel a prickle of energy. The dissevering spell is holding—thank goodness. If it weren’t, I don’t want to imagine what kind of damage it could do in a situation like this.

  “Fox, leave.”

  He shakes his head. “No. I don’t like the idea of you being alone with him right now.”

  Irritation flares and I round on him. “Get out of here!”

  He hesitates, obviously weighing his desire to stay against my insistence that he leave. After a beat, he nods and heads for the stairs.

  When I hear the front door open and close, I turn to Owen. He’s just as angry as he was when he was going after Fox. “Sit down. Please. Give me a chance to explain.”

  He won’t look at me. “I don’t know why I’m surprised,” he murmurs.

  I step forward, not sure I heard him right. Is it possible he sensed something like this was going on? Maybe he did, but he was in denial. I should’ve come clean as soon as I found out what was happening. It would have been better than him walking in on what he just saw. “Owen…”

  He backs toward my desk like he intends to sit on the chair, but he remains standing. “When I first started getting the memories of us together, I wanted us to pick up where we left off in the other reality—and you hesitated. I finally get why. You didn’t want to pick him or pick me—you wanted both of us. You refused to choose just one of us because you’re seriously that selfish.”

  His words cut through me like a knife. “You can’t really believe that,” I insist, my face flushing. “I want you—I choose you. Whatever was going on with Fox—it wasn’t me. It was the Influence. I had no idea it was even happening until about a week ago. As soon as I realized, I ended things with him.”

  Owen snorts. “The Influence. What a convenient excuse. Tell me, who else has the Influence been making you screw around with? Griffin? Tucker? Felix? Has it been making you hook up with them, too?”

  Tears sting my eyes, but I make no effort to blink them away. I hate that he thinks I’m capable of something like that, but
given the circumstances, I can’t entirely blame him. Being with Fox may not have been my fault, but keeping it quiet was.

  He closes the distance between us and stares into my eyes. “Tell me you don’t love him. Tell me you don’t have any feelings for him.”

  I want to tell him what he wants to hear. I want to confirm that he’s the only one I love, that there’s no room in my heart for anyone else, but it’s not that easy. “I don’t love him—not like I love you.”

  Owen’s jaw clenches and his eyes harden. He grabs my wrist and begins untying the bracelet that keeps my mind sealed off from psychic intrusion. I don’t fight him. I want him to see how conflicted my mind is. How true for him my love is.

  Once the bracelet is removed, I wait for the sensation of another consciousness pressing against mine, but I don’t feel anything. Of course I don’t—that part of me is gone.

  I watch his face as he scans my mind, but what I see on it isn’t encouraging. I don’t know exactly what he’s picking up, but whatever it is, it’s not good.

  He turns his head and presses the bracelet back into my hand. “Goodbye, Krissa.”

  He starts for the stairs and I follow him. “Owen, wait. Don’t go. I’ll make it up to you—I promise I will.”

  He pauses at the top of the stairs and turns to face me. “That’s the thing. I don’t think you can.”

  Before I can respond, he’s descending the stairs, moving farther and farther from me with each step.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Brody

  I’m back in my hotel room when my phone rings. For the first time since my arrival in Clearwater, I’m happy Jade is calling.

  After leaving the cafe, I drove past Krissa’s house. When I saw Fox’s truck down the street and Owen’s car in the driveway, I knew my plan was coming together. I’m more confident than I’ve been in some time.

  I accept the call and Jade’s face fills my phone screen. My usual smile comes easily. “Jade. So glad you called.”

  She doesn’t look nearly as pleased to see me. “Your time is almost up, Brody, and no amount of charm is going to change that. Have you made any progress? Will the Amaranthine have their assassin?”

  “Yes,” I say emphatically. “About an hour ago, I set a plan in motion. All that’s left for me to do is to wait for its effects to take hold. I anticipate Krissa seeking me out within the next twenty-four hours.”

  Jade inhales through her nose. “I’m tired of waiting. It seems all you do in Clearwater is assure me something is about to happen. Last time you were there, you assured me you would get Bess Taylor’s information. And before you try to remind me that you did, remember it came at a high price. The only reason you’re there now is because your actions led to the death of our assassin. I need to be able to trust that your plan will work without any further complications.”

  My swell of positivity ebbs at her tone. “Tell me what you need to know. I’m happy to provide the—”

  She shakes her head. “I’ve sent someone to oversee the rest of your operation. We have no room for missteps.”

  I’m about to ask who she sent when a knock sounds at my door. She nods, indicating I should answer it. When I pull it open, it takes every bit of my composure to keep my anger off my face. Lena Wiley stands in the hall. Her smirk lets me know she can sense my displeasure.

  “Lena is reporting directly to me.”

  Jade’s voice startles me. I forgot she was still on the phone. “I am reporting directly to you,” I say, keeping my voice as even as possible.

  She ignores my comment. “Now that we’re all together, I’d like to hear your plan.”

  Lena invites herself in and closes the door behind her. I lead the way to the suite’s small sitting area, and she takes the armchair I’m partial to. I narrow my eyes as I sit on the couch. “I’ve learned what’s holding Krissa back. She’s obsessed with the idea of living in ordinary life. She wants to be happy and in love like the teenagers on TV. However, it seems she wants love a little too much. She’s been stringing two boys along, and I informed the boyfriend in the dark that she’s been cheating on him. He’s at her house as we speak, no doubt breaking up with her because he caught her in flagrante with the other boy. Once she realizes her dream life is simply that, there won’t be anything holding her back from joining us.” I sit up straighter, waiting for Jade to praise me for my brilliance, but it doesn’t come.

  “That’s your plan?” she asks, her tone measured. “And you are confident it’s going to work?”

  Lena snorts. “Of course it won’t work. Yes, it’s possible the boyfriend has broken up with her, but so what? What’s to keep them from working it out and getting back together next week? She’s been seeing two boys, has she not? If one rejects her, there’s still the other to run to.” She leans forward and snatches the phone from my hand. “We don’t have an assassin yet because he’s not willing to do what’s necessary,” she says to the screen. “If this were my assignment, Krissa would be on our side already.”

  “I doubt that,” I say through clenched teeth.

  “Try me.” There’s a hard look in her eyes that I recognize. I’ve seen it in my own many times. She’s set her sights on impressing Jade, and she’s not going to let anything stop her. I knew the girl was bold, but I didn’t think she was capable of these kinds of maneuvers.

  “I’ll leave you two to work things out,” Jade says. “But remember, Brody, we’re counting on you. Our future—and yours—depends on the outcome of this mission.”

  Three beeps signal the end of the call. Lena slaps my phone down on the low coffee table and smirks, clearly happy with the implication of Jade’s words. “I’ve been in the car for too long. I’m going to my room to shower, and when I come back, I want to hear all the details of your genius plan. I mean, it has to be more complex than what you told Jade, doesn’t it?” She rolls her eyes as she stands and struts toward the door.

  My blood is boiling by the time she’s out of the room. My suspicions were right—she has been getting into Jade’s good graces in my absence. Is it really possible that Jade is considering putting her support behind Lena as her successor? She’s a child. She doesn’t have the experience necessary to lead the Amaranthine.

  But if she’s the one who’s able to convince Krissa to become our assassin, it’s possible she could play down her inexperience and point to how she was able to succeed when someone more seasoned failed.

  I can’t fail. As much as I hate to admit it, Lena brought up a good point: What’s to stop Krissa from simply cutting her losses and deciding to be with Fox instead of Owen? Or what’s to keep Owen from deciding he’ll forgive her? As much as I thought my plan was bulletproof, I suppose there are some holes in it.

  I’ll simply have to shore them up. It’s not enough to cause a rift between her and the one she loves; I have to take it further. I have to make sure there’s nothing for her to go back to.

  I stand and begin pacing the room. The question now becomes how far is too far? Is there such a thing?

  Of course there isn’t. I’m willing to go as far as it will take to force Krissa’s hand and make her accept my offer. In fact, I’m going to go farther—as far as possible. I don’t want to leave any chance for her to have the life she thinks she wants.

  I’m going to take away any hope she has of her happy ending. I’ll crush any chance for the normal life she dreams of.

  Chapter Thirty

  Krissa

  It’s the first day of finals, and Owen didn’t show up in second hour. It’s completely out of character for him to skip something so important, no matter how mad he might be.

  I’m worried. I can’t believe he’s so upset he can’t even bring himself to be in the same class with me for ninety minutes. Was he afraid I’d try to talk to him? Would I have tried? I don’t think I would have attempted it in the middle of our science exam, but I can’t say for sure. It’s killing me that I haven’t gotten the chance to explain things to him.
I tried texting him after he left my house, but there was no response. Not that I was expecting one. He’s angry, and rightfully so. I know he needs time to process things, but I can’t help wanting to plead my case one more time. If he’d give me even five minutes, I’m sure I could make him see I never intended to hurt him.

  I hope.

  I know I should give him space, but unease sits like a rock in the pit of my stomach. While I suppose it’s possible he made arrangements with Mrs. Bates to take the final in another room or at another time, I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.

  As soon as the bell rings, instead of going to clean out my locker as I was directed, I scurry to my car and point it in the direction of Owen’s house. Maybe it’s a bad idea to go there to check on him, but I can’t convince myself not to. If showing up unannounced makes him angrier with me, I’ll deal with it when the time comes. I just need to know he’s okay.

  Neither his parents’ cars nor Owen’s Grand Prix is in the driveway, but that doesn’t mean no one is home. Maybe Owen had car trouble. Maybe his car is in the garage. My mind grasps at any possible explanation as I pull to a stop in front of his house.

  I peer in through the front window as I climb the porch stairs. I don’t detect any movement inside, but I knock on the door anyway. When there’s no response, I knock again, even though I don’t expect anyone to answer. After checking over my shoulders to be sure no one is watching, I try the handle, murmuring a little prayer of thanks when I find it unlocked.

  As I slip inside, a voice in the back of my mind points out I’m probably overstepping here. What if Owen’s parents come home while I’m sneaking around like a burglar? I’ve met them, of course, but what if Owen told them we’re fighting? I don’t know if I’ll be able to come up with a good excuse for prowling around their house.