Wicked Sense Page 23
Connor continues, “I’ll let the Mothers know at once. We’ll keep an eye on this Brianna.”
He turns to me with grateful eyes I’ve never seen before. “Thank you, Skye. You found her! I owe you. All the Sisters owe you,” he says. He shakes his head. “You actually found her! You’re amazing…” He moves to hug me, and I think his Trust Charm must be in overdrive, because I let him. I even hug him back.
He was never so warm, so open, so… vulnerable.
But it’s too late now, Connor. You are two years too late.
***
“Darling, you must come at once!” Mum says on the phone. “The Mothers want to thank you.”
“Mum, enough about that,” I say. “How are you?”
“Wonderful, darling. I’ve never felt better. My daughter is the pride of the Sisterhood.”
“I mean your health.”
She gives a little, very proper, chuckle. “Oh, me. I’m fine. The doctors are astounded by my recovery. Of course, they don’t know I’ve been having some help on the side. When are you coming back?”
I think of Drake—and also of the few loose ends left to tie up.
“It might be a while,” I say.
Chapter 61: Drake
So, here I am, not only dating a witch, but also the brother of the most powerful witch in the world. Mona always thought she was a freak. Now she knows it for sure.
I have no idea how this is going to play out.
I try to imagine what will happen when Brianna wakes up. They have her on the scene of the arson, with burn wounds. Her car was there too, at the gym’s back entrance, and the call to 911 came from her cell.
Also, it seems a horde of witches will be watching her forever now.
Brianna not only is a Knowing, but she also knows Mona is the Singularity. Skye is thinking of slipping a forget potion in Brianna’s IV drop, but Skye doesn’t know how potent it can be, nor if it could be absorbed that way.
I always forget Skye didn’t finish her witch studies or whatever they’re called. Do they have a college for that? There’s so much I don’t know yet. And Mona is even more of a beginner.
Now it’s time for the Big Talk. Not the one I was afraid to have with Skye a while ago.
This is about Mona, Skye, and me discussing our options. Mona will walk us through what went down on the day of the earthquake.
For the first time in years I’m allowed in Mona’s room. Well, I’ve been here from time to time. I just wasn’t allowed to.
Dad is downstairs. He’s just glad we’re all okay. But I think he’ll never travel without us again. Ever.
Since Mona’s Allure kicked in, she looks gorgeous and radiant. She didn’t lose an ounce or an inch, nor has she changed her slouched posture, but she exudes a glow of beauty. Which so doesn’t match her emo wardrobe.
Mona starts. “Pain and I were just hanging out when that bitch—”
“Jane,” I say, trying to help.
Mona shoots me a threatening stare. “That bitch,” she continues, “knocked at the door. At first, she said she was Drake’s friend. But I think she saw our candles and our Wiccan props in the basement before knocking on Pain’s door.”
“Why do you think that?” I ask.
“She started asking questions,” Mona says, “very specific questions about the Craft. Now, Pain is not one to be pushed around, and she told this Jane character to piss off. Jane just stood there, asking more and more questions, being scary nosy, until Pain slammed the door in her face. We watched Jane linger around on the street for a while. Then she climbed on her bike and left. That’s when Pain said she thought Jane knew about me.”
I ask, “What about you? Did you know about the… witchcraft?”
“I’ve got to tell you something, Drake…” Mona says and lowers her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“About what?” I ask.
Mona doesn’t answer right away. She looks at her stuff on the dresser, all back after being knocked out by the quake. I wait patiently.
When I’m about to open my mouth, Skye jumps in. “About the fire,” Skye says.
“Hey, it’s just school,” I say, trying to lighten up the mood.
Mona looks at me with pleading eyes. “Skye means… our old house.”
My stare shifts from one to the other.
Oh!
Mona’s words come in a hurry. “I’m sorry that you thought you had caused the fire. It took me a while to understand—to accept—what had really happened. But then I couldn’t tell anyone. Who would have believed me?”
I’m having mixed feelings about this. Sure, I’m glad it turned out I’m not guilty of ruining our lives, but Mona could’ve told me before. At least make up a story.
I don’t want to think about it. I ask Skye, “How did you know that?”
Skye shrugs. “I had a hunch. Because of the school fire. This morning I asked your father the date your house burned down. Same day the Singularity’s energy was released.”
My mind reluctantly accepts the logic. “Yeah, about that: wasn’t she supposed to flip the switch at fifteen?” I ask.
Skye nods. “She did. It was the earthquake. The first outburst she had, at thirteen—I’m guessing—was just a pre-release. Like a valve letting steam off because of too much pressure. I’ve never heard of a pre-release before, but now we know Mona’s magic doesn’t follow the old rules. Her true powers, like the Allure Charm, didn’t manifest until she had her Daybreak.”
The unblemished, beautiful new face of my sister catches my attention. It’s just one of the many things that changed.
“What happened that day, Mona?” I ask.
Mona’s tone is timid. “I just felt this burning inside, like my body was in flames. I remember the curtains catching fire before I passed out.” She looks away.
“Now we know fire can’t harm her,” Skye says with admiration. “This is a new Charm, as far as I know.”
“After the fire,” Mona continues, “I was lost. I couldn’t tell anyone, and I didn’t know what had happened. I read a lot of books about mysticism and magic, but only Wicca had something that remotely made sense. So I started practicing it, and Pain got interested too. When I felt I could trust her, I told her everything. She’s been helping me figure this out ever since.”
For two years she held that secret. Wow. My sister is tough.
She goes on. “When Jane showed up talking as if she knew about me, I panicked. Pain tried to calm me down, but I was so out of whack! I wouldn’t listen. Then I felt the burning inside, the same burning that had started it all. I couldn’t control it and control my nerves at the same time. I was so freaked out I couldn’t even explain to Pain what was happening.”
Mona’s eyes become wet, and she reaches for a tissue from the dresser. Skye moves to sit by her side and puts her arm around my sister.
“It was bubbling up, and I thought of the fire, and I yelled to Pain to get away from me… It was a mess of screams and pain, until I felt something…” She doesn’t finish.
“Horrible?” I ask.
“Wonderful,” Mona says.
Skye shows a knowing smile.
Mona’s voice almost chokes. “It was like I was detached from reality, soaring above the ground. I felt a wave of happiness inside me. I can’t…” Mona looks at Skye. “I can’t explain.”
“Nobody can,” Skye whispers, nodding her head.
I’m feeling very, very left out. “And?” I ask.
“I was just wishing it—whatever it was—didn’t cause a fire. It was all very confusing, but I tried to hold it in. Then… poof. I remember waking up at the gym. That’s it.” Mona’s expression seems to ask for forgiveness.
I stare at Skye.
“What?” she asks.
“What do you mean, ‘what’?” I say. “Fill in the blanks.”
My girlfriend sighs. “Jane probably got suspicious when she saw your sister dabbling in magic without emitting a signature. Maybe she confused the Wiccan s
tuff,” Skye says, pointing to some books scattered on the floor, “with the real thing. Then the quake hit, and Jane had a bike accident. At first I thought she fell because of the quake, but it wasn’t that violent at the beginning, remember? Jane’s a good biker; she wouldn’t just fall for no reason.”
“Maybe a car hit her bike?” I suggest.
But Skye shakes her head. “I think she fell because of the impact of the Singularity’s energy hitting her. I sensed it from here, and I almost fainted. It must have been overwhelming to Jane, since she was so close to ground zero. When Jane woke up, she called Brianna to ask about Mona. Brianna found out that Mona was at the hospital and brought her car over, helped Jane kidnap Mona, and they drove to school.”
I can see where things fit. It would be hard for Jane to take Mona away without help, or transportation. That’s why Brianna’s car was at Greenwood High.
“But why was Jane at Pain’s?” Mona asks.
I raise my hand, “I know this one.” I ignore Skye’s chuckle and continue before any of them takes away my moment of glory. “Jane knew Skye could sense her, so she tried to get back at me by going after you. She must have followed you to Pain’s. She might even have been spying through the windows before knocking on the door.” I look at Skye, who nods her approval. Pride invades me.
“We were praying right before Jane showed up,” Mona says.
I give a ‘See?’ look at Skye, but she just rolls her eyes.
She turns to Mona. “Okay. Now we have a problem. Jane and Brianna both know you’re the Singularity. We don’t have to worry about Brianna for now.”
“But she’ll talk when she wakes up,” Mona argues.
Skye answers her. “She’ll be busy with her own problems. First, she’ll have to defend the arson changes. And she won’t dare to mention magic to police or to her family. Who would believe her?”
“What about the covens?” I ask
“I told the Mothers that Brianna was the Singularity. There’s no way to disprove my claim. Or to prove it.” Skye is very happy with herself. “It’s a catch-22, really. The Singularity only emits a signature when using her powers—the Sisters believed that because of the supposed Daybreak, two years ago, and the earthquake. But Brianna can’t use magic, since she doesn’t have any.”
Mona says, “Still, at some point she’ll tell them I’m the one they’re looking for.”
Skye shrugs. “They’ll think Brianna is just trying to deflect attention from herself. They won’t believe her. Remember, her credibility is not at an all-time high right now. I think the Mothers will stay away until the arson incident is cleared up. They’ll watch her, for sure. They’ll never let her disappear.”
She gives Mona a meaningful look and rests her hands on Mona’s shoulders. “And that’s why I’m not telling them about you. You have to understand this: once the Mothers find out about you, your life is over.”
Skye’s voice has never sounded harsher. Mona is looking straight at her.
“They can’t afford to let you loose. They believe the type of magic you can do is so conspicuous that the Veil will be compromised forever. So far, we’ve been lucky you had the outbreaks in private spaces, with only Sisters or Knowings around. If you had one in a public place, where an army of phone users can tweet about it and post pics and videos online, the Veil would be history.”
“I would be outed, but the other witches… Can’t they hide?” Mona asks, her voice quivering.
“It’s much easier to hide when nobody is looking for you,” Skye says. “If the Veil is broken, anyone suspected of using magic will be subjected to an unprecedented level of scrutiny. Like paparazzi times a thousand. Imagine how much People magazine would pay for a witch tell-all?”
“Can’t the magazines do that now?” I ask.
“Now they’d be laughed off. After Mona produces a bonfire out of thin air around her, everybody is going to see it on YouTube and believe in magic. But that’s not the worst part. People are afraid of what they don’t understand. Minorities are always persecuted. And we witches have a history of being executed.”
“At least Mona can’t burn on a stake,” I say, thinking out loud.
The two most important women in my life look at me with disdain in their eyes.
Sisters, indeed.
“Drake,” Mona says with a grave voice. “Shut up.”
Chapter 62: Skye
The sun plays hide-and-seek behind the buildings while Drake drives us to Boulder’s house. I had forgotten about it. The sun, I mean. I’m even wearing short sleeves. The scar Jane’s knife left on my arm is almost gone.
Before we go to Boulder’s, we stop at the 7-Eleven for paper plates.
“What about Jane?” Drake asks when we’re back in the car.
I hate it that Jane is permanently on our minds. “I’m not sure,” I say. “She must be burned from the gym fire, and I’m pretty sure she can’t heal herself.”
He shakes his head. “No, I mean, what is she going to do?”
I shrug. “I know Connor is looking for her. Remember, Connor believes Jane is after Brianna, not Mona.”
“But Mona is in danger,” he says.
“She is, but I gave her a few little somethings she can use to defend herself. I’ll perform morning cleanse and shielding rituals on her—when I’m sure her magic will not get out of control. Also, Mona has started to sense magical energy. She can only feel it when a Sister is close, but with her power she could even have a stronger sensibility than I do.”
“How is she?”
“She’s your sister,” I say.
“Now she’s yours too,” he replies.
I’m taken aback, until I realize he’s not implying I’m family. He means she’s my Sister, capital S.
I chuckle. “You two still didn’t have a talk, did you?”
“The last one didn’t go well.” He doesn’t smile.
“She feels guilty about the earthquake. I told her she shouldn’t: it wasn’t her fault, and nobody died. Pain supported me.”
“Is Pain out of the hospital already? And is she a Knowing now?”
“Well, technically, she’s been a Knowing for some time,” I tell him. “Anyway, I think Pain and I convinced Mona.” I glance at him. “You’re taking this pretty well.”
“What can I do? I’ve seen enough to accept it.” He shows me a crooked smile.
Something else must be said. “Drake, you’ve got to understand: this will never go away.”
He looks at me, serious.
“There might come a day when the Mothers come knocking.”
Drake puts on a brave face. “We’ll deal with it.”
“That’s not all. Mona’s magical abilities will increase. It’ll take a while for her to use magic, at least in a controlled and discreet way. Things will get weirder and weirder.”
“I seriously doubt that,” he says.
“Be warned. So far Mona showed Allure and this fire immunity I’ve never seen before. She doesn’t play by the old rules. She might have more than two Charms. Unheard-of powers. And things can get nasty.”
His eyes flicker between the road and me. “What do you mean?”
There’s no easy way to say it. “Jane is not the only rogue Sister. We know others are out there, hidden. She might even belong to a renegade coven. I mean, her bike, her houses—someone probably pays for that. And she wouldn’t learn Night magic by herself. A Night coven must be supporting her.”
“But they already knew about the Singularity, right? What changed?”
“The earthquake. They knew of her. Now they know what she can do. And Jane might tell them who she is.”
Drake goes silent. I respect his privacy. I just stare at him while he drives. Not even his somber expression can mask his good looks.
Pushing all the trouble aside, I smile, just happy to be with him. Looking outside, I notice the city. It kind of sparkles in the sun.
Seattle is not such a bad place after all.
I love that the city can be mellow or rock and roll.
I even love the gray skies that make the sunny days—like today—much more special.
And I love it all even more because Drake is here.
Chapter 63: Drake
“D-man, you’re here! And you brought the wife!” Sean speaks and chuckles at the same time. I wonder if he’s a witch. Maybe that’s his special Charm.
Forget about magic. I came here to have fun. The last month had the record of “weirdest moments of my life” toppled over and over. I crave some normalcy.
Sean takes the bag with paper plates from my hand and leads us to the backyard through the side of the house. The windows have plastic covers, a common sight in the city trying to rebuild itself.
Boulder and Priscilla are on the deck. Judging by her body language, not as a couple.
“Hey! Welcome to our small barbecue gathering!” Boulder says aloud. “We’re lighting a fire in homage of the fire in school. Clever, huh?”
“Not as much as you’d think,” Priscilla says.
“Oh come on, the school burned. Let’s burn some meat,” he replies, giving her a one-armed hug.
“Let’s cook the meat, not burn it, please,” I say.
Priscilla is not amused. She pushes Boulder’s arm away. “It’s not all fun and games, you know? My dad mentioned they’ll probably spread us among the other schools in the district while they rebuild Greenwood High. We may end up in different schools.”
“Thank you, mood killer,” Sean says. He brings us a beer and a soda, and gives me the latter. “Here’s your kid’s drink.” He looks at Skye.
“I’ll take the grown-up drink,” Skye says. Sean hands her the beer can, and I can see that with that line, she earned his everlasting respect.
Boulder turns to Skye, “How do you like it, Skye? Medium-rare good enough for you?”
“I’m a vegetarian,” she says. I can almost feel Sean’s disappointment.
Boulder arches his eyebrows. “Really? Well, D-Man here is crap-tarian. But you still make a good couple.”