by Valia Lind
"Yes, just checking in. We should go."
He studies me for a moment longer, as if making sure I'm speaking the truth, before he offers his elbow. I twine my arm through his with a small smile and we turn toward the clinic.
It doesn't take us long to walk there, and a part of me wishes it was a bit longer. I would be lying if I say I don't enjoy the feel of Nolan pressed up beside me. And what I'm feeling has nothing to do with comfort.
But the moment we step through the front doors of the clinic all those warm feelings dissipate. There is absolute chaos inside the building.
There are people everywhere. About ten of them are cramped in the front room, sprawled out in the chairs as if it's too hard to sit up properly. I can feel the sickness in the air, a heavy fog that have settled over each individual. Before I allow my magic to unfurl, I reel it in, remembering the text we've read. I can't feed it any more than it's already being fed.
Just then one of mom's workers rushes by, carrying towels. She looks completely worn out, her clothes stained with blood and bile. She's about Mama's age and has been helping at the clinic for as long as I can remember.
"Dee, where is my mother?"
"Krista, you shouldn't be here," Dee replies, taking a step back as to not get anything on me and Nolan.
"I want to help."
"This is not something you can help with."
"Dee!" But the woman has already moved on. I turn to Nolan, running my hands through my hair. "Unbelievable. This is my legacy and they keep pushing me away."
"They must have a good..."
"Don't you dare," I interrupt, pointing a finger at him. "I will not be helpless."
With that, I twist on my heels, heading for the back of the building. A few more worker rush past me and when they open their mouth to protest, all I have to do is glare and they move out of the way. I find my mother in the third room on the left, taking off her gloves.
"Krista," she says, looking up at me with tired eyes. "I thought I told you to go to the library."
"I did," I reply, folding my arms in front of me. "I learned there's a secret medical book in our family. As well as that the White Plague feeds on magic."
"So it is White Plague."
"The symptoms fit."
My mother exhales, placing a hand over her heart as if to comfort herself. I almost reach out, but I need answers first.
"Mother,"
"Not here," she holds up a hand, before motioning for us to follow her. She closes the door to her office, leaning against it before she speaks up. "There was an occurrence about thirty five years ago. A mild case of the White Plague. I was hoping it wasn't the same, but it felt the same."
"Mama," I say cautiously, coming to stand beside her. "Tell me what's going on."
"You might've notices only the elders are here to help," she begins cryptically, and as I think about it I realize she's right.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"When the White Plague first resurfaced all those years ago, we cast a spell that protected us from its affects. Since we thought we would never have to deal with it again, the spell only took care of our generation."
"So I'm not immune like you are," I say, pieces falling into place. It's why she was so freaked out when she saw me near that woman.
"Neither is most of the town."
"But can we replicate it?"
She pauses for a moment too long and then,
"We don't have all the pieces."
"What do you mean you don't have all the pieces?" I ask, staring at my mother as if I've never seen her before. "How could you have such vital information and not...I don't know...write it down?" The outrage is evident in my voice and I'm not even trying to hide it. Nolan steps up closer to me, that ever comforting presence at my back. There's a fleeting touch of my hand and I grab his before he can move back.
"It was a one off spell, Krista," Mama says, pulling her hair away from her face and rewrapping it into place with a scarf. "The shifters and witches were able to pool our resources during the Litha celebration and create a barrier of sorts on the town. But it was a onetime deal, and it barely worked as it is."
"Why isn't this in the book you had me read?"
She pauses again, contemplating her answer and I wonder just what kind of secrets she's keeping. Maybe I don't know my mother as well as I do. Maybe this town keeps even more secrets than I thought.
"It's not something that should've ever come up."
"Mom, what are you not telling me?" If I wasn't holding on to Nolan for dear life, I would've gotten in her face by now. I'm not stupid or naive enough to ignore the fact that she's not giving me much information. She won't even look me fully in the eye. My emotions are boiling up inside of me and if I had even a shred less of self-control, this whole building would've felt them by now.
"It's complicated."
"So un-complicate it for me." I snap and that finally gets her attention. Leah is the one to speak up to our mother, not me. I've never so much as risen my voice. I can count on one hand the times we've disagreed and I had to take a stand. But now? Now, all bets are off because I am sick and tired of the Elders in this town keeping information from us.
"It's not..."
"Don't," I interrupt, raising my hand and stepping toward her. My other hand is still in Nolan's and I'm not about to let go. "Don't come up with excuses. Don't say you can't explain. You will not always be the Elder of Hawthorne. You should remember that."
It's not a threat exactly, but a reminder. One I don't want to think about too much, because it means a lot of things for our family. But right now, I need her to understand the reality of the situation. Our town is becoming overrun with problems, and now, disease is one of them. I can't afford to play nice.
But my mother surprises me once more. Instead of getting angry, there's a lightness in her for the first time since we've walked in. Her next words fill me with a renewed purpose.
"I have raised you to be a strong woman and a strong leader. I shouldn't expect anything less."
Nolan squeezes my hand at her words, before letting go and moving away. He's staying in the room, but he's giving us this moment. I move towards my mother, stopping just a few feet in front of her. I want to reach out, but I can feel the sickness on her. It surrounds her like an aura, close, but impossible to get to her actual essence.
"Mama," I try one more time, keeping my voice low and soothing, "Please tell me what you know."
She studies me quietly, searching for I don't know what. But then, she comes to a decision. Motioning for Nolan to come closer, she points to the chairs on the other side of the desk, as she takes her own seat.
"I remember it like it was yesterday. Meredith and I were at our first grown up Litha celebration. It was the day Meredith met Isaac, the day the shifters finally came to one of our witch celebrations."
I sit still, completely enthralled by her voice. Her magic spreads out around us, adding a touch of her feelings to the story, so that I can gleam whatever I need to in order to understand. She used to tell me bedtime stories in the same manner. But now, I'm not looking for comfort, but for truth.
"We thought it was the start of a new age. A community of supernaturals that can actually work and live together. But that night something happened. Halfway through the circle casting the bonfire started to die out." She glances over at Nolan, who isn't a witch and therefore isn't privy to our ways. She gives him a small smile, as if she can tell he's a little confused. "A huge bonfire is lit during the celebration, to keep away the evil and bring in a new time of the year. It doesn't die, until the magic is taken from it. That night, the magic began disappearing on its own.
It was confusing and frustrating, especially since your grandparents still treated me like a child. They wouldn't answer questions, and then, people started getting sick. There was such panic in the air. I've never felt anything like it. My parents ushered us into the town's hall and disappeared. We waited for over
an hour and no one came. So Meredith, Isaac, Jefferson, and I went looking."
"Wait, as in Connor's dad?" I ask, having no previous idea my mom was that close of a friend with the Alpha.
"Yes, he has just come back from his training and he was Isaac's friend. When we got back outside, there were people sick everywhere. And so were our parents. They had no protection, no knowledge of the sickness. Those closer to death began turning white and that's when Meredith's mom realized that it was the White Plague. An ancient sickness that hasn't been seen in these parts. Ever."
She pauses, taking a deep breath and I can feel a bit of her anxiety coming through her carefully erected walls. But there's also something sweet in that memory and it makes me understand my mother a little more. She has been fighting for a lot longer than I've imagined.
"We had to act fast. Before we too became sick. I won't tell you how we got the information," she waves her hand when I open my mouth, "I will not, Krista. Don't ask. But it was a spell and it used an incredible amount of magic. Magic we've never been able to channel before. Or since."
There's something in the way she says that. It makes all of my internal alarms go off. Nolan shifts just a little beside me and I zero in on him immediately. Can he pick something up that I can't? Maybe his shifter senses are kicking in, but there's something there. Right in front of our noses.
"What kind of magic?" Nolan asks carefully and suddenly I'm afraid of the answer.
"The kind we are not to yield."
There's complete silence, a heavy curtain around the room, and then the truth slams into me.
"Ancient magic. You used Ancient magic.”
10
She doesn't answer right away but I know I hit the nail on the head.
Jumping to my feet, I begin to pace, the energy within me threatening to come out. There is so much disturbance within me, it's becoming harder by the minute to control the raging storm. My magic rises up in me, trying to figure out exactly what I'm feeling and how to react.
Suddenly, Nolan moves in front of me, blocking my path.
"Krista, breathe," his voice is low and soothing and he takes my hands, halting my movement. I freeze at the contact, and my breath catches, before it restarts back up. This time, at a more normal rate. "There you go," he continues, looking into my eyes intently, "Focus on the here and now. Breathe."
It takes a few moments, and then, I'm me again.
"What...what was that?" I breathe out, once more in control.
"You are a powerful witch, sweetheart," Mama speaks up, and I turn to see her standing by her desk, as if she was ready to go to me before Nolan intercepted. "And our powers are tied to our emotions, so much more as Readers. You had a panic attack. Of sorts."
"Well, I don't like it."
Nolan chuckles as he leads me back to the chair, before he turns to my mother. "I'll get her some water."
Before either one of us can say another word, he leaves, closing the door behind him. I stare at the space he just was, wondering what in the world is happening to me.
"He cares about you," Mama says, and I turn my attention back to her.
"That's not why we're here."
"Can't a mother inquire about her daughter's suitor?" At that, I laugh out loud.
"Nolan is not a suitor. He's a...friend," even I know I don't sound convincing, but I can't be discussing my feelings when a shifter with his shifter hearing is just on the other side of that wall. "Also, we're not in the 1800s. Suitor? Really?"
My mother shrugs, just as elegantly as she does everything else. But the moment is sweet, and we're back on even footing again.
"Where did you get Ancient magic?"
I shatter the illusion of normalcy with that one question. Mama's eyes flash, and she sighs heavily. But she doesn't hide away.
"That's something I can't tell you either. I'm actually incapable of saying or writing it down. It's why it's not in the book I wanted you to read. There are protective charms on everything regarding that night."
I let that sink in, mulling over what it can mean for us. The plague is back and I have no idea how we're going to stop the spread of it, if the only people who are immune to it are the Elders.
"What do we do?" I ask, just as the door opens and Nolan comes back in. I accept the cup he offers, taking a long swig of water. He takes his seat beside me, waiting for my mother to answer the question. She takes a deep breath, before finally replying.
"The Elders have issued a quarantine. People are currently being ushered into their places of living. An earlier curfew has been put into place. No one can come in or out of Hawthorne, until we can find a more permanent solution."
I'm on my feet in a flash, indignation rushing through my body. Just like that, we're on lock down. What about Harper and Connor? Leah and Jay? Bri and Mark? They're out there, with no way in.
"Mom..."
"I know," she says, sadness etched into her features. "But it's safer for them out there right now. We haven't been able to erase Hawthorne from existence, but witches have been placed at the border and have been given the authority to use illusion spells to direct tourists away from town."
"You can't do this."
"Sweetheart, it's already been done."
Just like that. We've been cut off from the rest of the world, with a sickness worse than anything I could imagine growing inside of my town. I can't wrap my mind around what my life has become, how this town has turned into such a magical mess.
"Nolan, please take her home. She needs rest."
"What I need," I snap, staring down my mother, "Is a way to fix this. And that's what I'm going to do."
Spinning on my heels, I march out of my mother's office, and straight for the outside. My protective barriers need to be rebuilt and fast, because I can feel the sickness seeping through. The cool air feels nice on my overheated skin, but the quietness of the town takes the comfort away. Glancing around, I see that there is barely anyone outside. We've been under a curfew for months now, but not this early. And not this effectively. I don't have to turn around to know that Nolan has followed me outside.
"Are you going to tell me that I'm being irrational?" I ask, not turning around.
"No," he replies, his voice much closer than I anticipated. "But I will tell you that you need food and rest. You can't fight this battle if you're not up to par."
Now I do look at him. He looks just as worried as I feel, and I wonder if he's letting me glimpse this emotion in him, just to let me know that I'm not alone. Right now, I am beyond thankful for his presence. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I do need rest. My emotions are too out of sync to be of any use right now.
"Then let's go home," I say, clearly surprising him. He was waiting for another fight. "I can use some food."
"Are you cooking?" There's a glimmer of playfulness in his eye and my own heart feels lighter because if we can still joke, we can survive anything. I reach for him once more, looping my arm through his.
"Only if you're nice to me.”
After we've had our very simple but yet delicious dinner of mac and cheese, we end up on the couch.
I've never actually imagined myself this comfortable with anyone outside of my family, but I can feel all the barriers crashing down and opening up to this man beside me.
"Are you sure scary movies are a good idea?" He asks, picking up one of my well-loved DVDs.
"Horror movies are always a good idea. They're like therapy."
"I don't think I follow," he chuckles, but his attention is on me, as if he really wants to know.
"Okay. Horror movies take internal fears and present them externally. Watching these situations play out on screen, it's like a dream but without dreaming. We need dreams to process what's going on inside our minds. Horror movies take that and put it in front of us. Then, the movie ends. And we can leave those fears and situations behind. I don't know, they've always helped me." I shrug, feeling a bit foolish having gone on such a tangent,
but Nolan just smiles.
"I get it."
"You do?"
"Absolutely. It's a coping mechanism."
"It is," I watch him, completely amazed that he doesn't just dismiss my explanation.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"It's not that crazy, Krista," he says, and I can hear the conviction in his voice. "People process situations in various ways. If this is your coping mechanism, then that's what it is. I can't judge you on that, any more than I can tell you how you're supposed to be feeling. That's all on you."
As he speaks, I can't take my eyes off him. Right then and there, I trust him completely. No one has ever accepted my quirks the way he does. I think that I don't even have to explain anything to him, and he would still accept me. He just does.
Shifting just an inch closer, I place my hand on the inside of his arm, stopping him from getting up. He turns to me, a question in his eyes, and something else that looks a lot like desire. I may not be able to read him, but I feel his pulse speed up under my fingertips, the way his skin heats at my nearness. When he wraps his own fingers under my elbow, pulling me forward, I go willingly.
For a moment, I think he's going to kiss me and a part of me wants that. But then he surprises me when he simply pulls me into his arms. Because I need that more than anything. Wrapping both of his arms around me, he tugs me even closer, and then I'm completely on top of him as he leans back. He doesn't speak, and neither do I. We just hold each other like our lives depend on it and I let myself relax completely.
When I open my eyes, I'm not longer in Nolan's arms. I don't remember falling asleep, and I can't tell if I actually did or if this is something else. Once again, I'm standing in the midst of Main Street, in shrouded darkness, the magic draining away from me by the moment.
"Where are you?" I shout, because suddenly I know he brought me here. That creature.
"You are impatient," the voice comes from behind me, sending shivers up my back. I turn slowly, stilling myself against whatever's to come. But there's no one there.