Authors: Fabio Bueno
On our way to the airport, Connor looks at me, alert, as if I might break out of the town car at any moment.
“What?” I ask.
“How could you have lied to me? To your coven?”
He doesn’t need to worry about the Veil. The driver’s a Knowing.
“Connor, please.”
“Here’s what’s going to happen now: we’ll wake up Brianna even if it kills her. Now that we know she’s not the Singularity, we’re not so concerned with her well-being anymore. A group of Healing Sisters will be summoned to make a commune ritual to wake her up.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“When Brianna wakes up, she will tell us who the real Singularity is. Why don’t you tell me the truth now before we get it from her anyway? It’ll lessen the punishment by the covens.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
His scowl almost hides his Allure. “I was so proud of you. I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
Nothing I say will help my case, so I just look out the window.
“I will still try to help you as much as I can.” His voice is not Connor’s usual one. It’s softer. Caring.
What am I going to do? Wild scenarios run through my head. Run away. Break the Veil. Even ludicrous ones, like asking Yara to brew me a powerful Forget potion, erasing everything from the last few weeks from my memory.
I have no strategy to face a Sister with a Truth Charm.
Mona will be
outed, and I’ll be the one doing it.
And Drake. What am I going to do about Drake?
***
The British Airways flight is delayed. Connor and I avoid eye contact while we wait in the security line. Sea-
Tac airport is not too busy tonight.
A familiar voice calls my name. “Skye!”
Drake waves to me. He has just turned the corner close to the check-in desks. He is walking fast while motioning to me to get out of the line.
Connor says, “I can’t allow you to—”
“Connor, don’t even start. I’ll talk to him, and you can go to hell.”
I step out of the security line. Connor follows me begrudgingly. He stays away from me, though.
Drake meets me near a Starbucks. I lead him to two isolated chairs so we can have some privacy.
“Are you all right? What’s going on?” he asks. “You didn’t return my calls. When Aunt Gemma finally picked up the phone, she told me you were going to England. With him.” He points to Connor.
“Drake, you don’t understand. They don’t know about Mona, but they know I lied. I’m being shipped back to London to face the Mothers.”
He’s ashen. “They don’t believe it’s Brianna anymore?”
“The energy was so intense that they could tell the direction of the source. That’s why they sent Sisters to Boulder’s neighborhood.”
“Skye, I had no idea—”
“Listen. They will be monitoring everyone I talked to in Seattle. Like staking out, following, electronic surveillance, you name it. I can’t use a phone. Neither can you. Don’t talk to anyone on the phone. Even Mona and Pain must be careful.”
Drake shifts about, agitated. “And you’re just leaving?”
“I don’t have a choice. My coven summoned me.”
He makes a dismissive gesture. “To hell with them. You’re not beholden to them.”
“Actually, I am. Drake, I betrayed the people who loved me, who raised me. I may be banished from my coven.”
“Oh, Skye…” He tries to hug me.
“Don’t touch me!” My reaction is spontaneous and surprising even to myself.
He’s taken aback. I might as well have slapped him.
“I deserve this,” he says.
“Why did you do that? Why did you put Mona in that situation?”
“I couldn’t live with the thought that I could’ve done something and chose not to do it. For what it’s worth it, Mona did everything right, but she lost control at the end.” He gazes at his feet. “We saved him, by the way.”
“I’m happy for him. I really am. But now everything else is ruined. Mona is in danger again. Now I have to go. Do you know what you’ve done? All we did, all the lies, were for nothing. I deceived my friends, my Sisters, my mother, my coven. I was tortured. Jane almost killed me. And, in the end, it was all for nothing. You exposed Mona. Your own sister.
You
ruined it.”
Drake looks at me again. His face is all tensed up, but he tries to keep his voice steady. “I see that. I’m truly sorry. Please understand that I needed to do it. Mona felt the same way. She knew the risks to herself, but neither of us though it would harm you.”
“Now everybody, including the Night covens, will eventually know about Mona. Who she is, where she lives. The Veil might be broken. It almost was, with the green light and everything. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out it’s Mona. Our only hope is that they’re looking for someone who is about seventeen. But once they put it together like we did, she’s done for.”
He takes a deep breath and straightens his back. “Let’s fix this. What can I do?”
“You can’t do anything. Now I can’t do anything either.” My voice sounds weak.
“Let me help you, Skye. I put you in this situation.”
“It’s funny. You took pity on Jane because she was shunned. Now I may end up just like her. A rogue Sister. No one will ever teach me again, Drake. That’s it for me.”
His eyes go wide. “No. Don’t think like that. We can fix it. We can figure it out, Skye. It’s not the end of the world.”
“It is to me! It’s who I am. It’s
all
I am.”
“But Skye, you’re so much more.”
This throws me off. I look down. My hands can’t stop fidgeting.
He puts his hand over mine. “I’m just saying we can beat this. The two of us, together.”
I shake my head. “We already tried that, Drake. Look where it got us. Look where it got Mona. I feel for her. I’ll pray to the Goddess for her. I hope she turns out okay. Involving Mona is my only regret. Keep an eye on her; drive her everywhere.”
“What about
us
, Skye?” He tries to hide it, but his voice quivers.
I remove my hand from his and look into his eyes. “I made a mistake. I’m not coming back.” My chest tightens, but I need to do it. It’s how I feel. “It’s over, Drake. We’re over.”
He stares at me in disbelief.
I stand up and move to get back to the line.
But Drake comes after me and blocks my path. “Wait, Skye.” He stares into my eyes. He’s breathing hard, but his tone is composed. “Let’s figure out
us
later. Right now, just tell me what I can do to help.”
“You’ve done enough,” I say. “You betrayed me, Drake.”
I turn fast and leave. When I’m about to go around the corner, an overwhelming feeling takes over me. I stop and take one last look at Drake.
After that moment of weakness, I’m gone.
If romantic comedies taught me anything, it is that rushing to the airport at the last minute to plead with a girl always leads to a happily ever after.
I botched it.
I walk through the airport, devastated. Somehow, I find my way back to the parking garage. I arrive at the car, having no idea how I got there. Mona is waiting for me. We get in, and I drive in silence.
When we’re on the I-5, she says, “It didn’t go well, did it?”
“No.”
“When is she coming back?”
“She isn’t.” I can barely hear myself. I sneak a peek at Mona.
She covers her mouth with her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not right now.”
She looks out of the window. “Do you want to talk about something else?”
“Please. Anything.”
“I spent a few enlightening hours with Jane,” she says with a hesitant voice. “She told me Jason’s story. And hers. In detail.”
“Do you trust her, Mona?”
“Do you?”
“She’s a master manipulator. Or was. I don’t know anymore. I’m sure her story is true, but it may also be part of a long con of hers.”
“She didn’t harm me. I want to help her, Drake.”
“Really? What good came from helping Boulder?”
Mona puts her hand on my shoulder. “He’ll survive, won’t he? What else matters?”
“That’s a good point. Let’s help Jane then. Why not? But who’s helping you?”
She squeezes my shoulder in a tender gesture. “Well, you. And who knows? Maybe someone is watching over us, Drake. We’re still here. Maybe we can get out of this jam.”
I nod, but my thoughts are still with Skye.
“Come on,” Mona says. “Look on the bright side. At least I didn’t destroy the city this time.”
But I can’t make myself chuckle.
Mona slaps the dashboard. “Okay, I need to tell you. I know for a fact that you love Skye.”
“How can you know that?”
“I saw your aura with her glasses.”
I scoff. “Okay. It’s not that big of a revelation, you know?”
“Yeah, but here’s the thing: a big red aura shows the person is in love.”
“And?”
“And I saw hers too. I never told her, but hers is as red as yours, big bro. Maybe a deeper red, even.”
The car leaves the lane for a second. I stare at Mona, who beams at me.
But I can’t smile. I feel like someone punched me in the stomach.
***
Why is all this happening?
I can’t really blame anyone. If I must blame someone, I’d better start with myself.
But I’ll fix it. I will fix everything.
The image of Skye leaving is seared in my memory. The beautiful face I know so well was cold. Her lips were curved down. Stray strands of hair fell on her face. The buttoned-up blouse covered half of her neck, as if suffocating her. She looked broken inside.
I remember how Skye stopped and raised her chin. She was about to say something, but she didn’t. She gave me one last glimpse, those once loving blue eyes piercing mine. It could be an accusatory gaze or a regretful one. Maybe I’ll never know.
It doesn’t matter. She stopped and looked back. That meant something.
I’ll do everything to help her. I owe her.
And I hope she takes me back. I won’t give up. I can’t, really.
That girl put a spell on me.
###
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Charms
: natural magical powers. Each Sister has two, which manifest after Daybreak. Charms are always active and cannot be “turned off” or countered with potions. Most Sisters have an Allure Charm. Other common ones are Athletics, Intellect, Charisma, and Trust.
Coven
: a gathering of Sisters. A witch’s coven is a second family to her.
Craft:
the culture of the witches. It includes their values, traditions, history, and system of beliefs. Magic is but a part of the Craft.
Daybreak
: the coming-of-age of a Sister. A Sister’s personal magic awakens at Daybreak, around her fifteenth birthday, usually accompanied by a small burst of magical energy.
Goddess:
most Sisters believe the Goddess is a deity, but some view the Goddess as a symbol, an icon, or a manifestation of magical energy. Irrespective of belief, all Sisters pray to the Goddess.
Knowing:
somebody who knows magic exists, but is not a witch herself.
Magic
/
Personal Magic
/
Magical Energy
: all living things possess this universal energy, but only witches can tap into it, connect with the Goddess, and create potions and spells.
Night Magic:
Night magic, Night coven, and Night Sisters are the twisted versions of the true Craft. Night magic is more powerful than regular magic.
Potions
: brewed during rituals and infused with a Sister’s personal magic. Require specific ingredients. Popular potions are Fancy Me, Sleep, and Truth. The most common methods of delivery are beverages, oils, serums, and ointments.
Rituals
: solo ceremonies performed by Sisters, with the goal of meditation, connecting with the Goddess, and creating spells and potions. A ritual performed by more than one witch is called a commune ritual.
Singularity
: the most powerful witch alive. Her reserve of magical energy is exponentially higher than a regular witch’s. The Singularity has more than two Charms, and only releases energy when she casts a spell or loses control of her magic.
Spells
: prayers and incantations recited during a ritual where the Sister embeds a little of her personal magic into the prayer. Prayers usually require a simple offering to the Goddess and involve burning of herbs, leaves, flowers, oils, or incense.
Talisman/Amulet:
a small object imbued with personal magic; a vessel for a spell or potion.
Veil:
an unwritten code, followed by all magic users: nobody reveals the existence of magic. It’s the Craft’s most important rule.
Witch/Sister:
a practitioner of the Craft.
Witch Sense
: all Sisters release a constant flow of magical energy that can be felt by other Sisters nearby.