Sighing, I glanced at the items on the table once more before locking eyes with her, again. “I hope you’re right about this, Marsha. We won’t be able to make them forget us if we need to leave.”
She stood directly in front of me, cupping my face between her hands. “I’m so sorry for what you had to leave behind. Please understand, I’m doing the best I can to protect you. I need help. We need help. I honestly believe these are the people who can do that.”
Covering one of her hands with mine, I gave her a sincere smile. “I trust you. How could I not? You gave up everything to help my mom and me. I’m simply tired of running is all. Not having any stability in our lives is starting to wear on me. Every time we move, I keep hoping the new place will be different. But, it never is, and that’s discouraging.”
She dropped her hands back to her side and sat on one of the beds. “I hope for that too. For both our sakes.”
Her eyes drifted past the remnants of my spell and a small frown creased her mouth. She didn’t like this anymore than I did.
“So, when do we move in?” I asked, eager to escape this dumpy hotel. It sucked that we had to keep such a low profile. We could’ve been living like kings with all the money I had, but we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves.
Her face lit up again. “Right now, if you’re ready. We’re moving to a little town about thirty miles from here called Sedona.”
“Sedona, huh?” I asked, testing out the new name of another place I’d never heard of before.
“You’re going to love it, Vance! It’s a wonderful tourist location with all these gigantic red rock cliffs. People consider it a healing center. There are spiritual retreats and tons of New Age stores. The whole place has a very holistic feel about it. And, with all the visitors constantly in and out, we’ll be able to easily blend in. No one will think twice about seeing new faces there. I really do think it’s perfect for us. Trust me, you’ll like it.”
“Well, let’s go then. It’s not like we have a lot to pack.” I stood, offering her my hand. She grinned and accepted it, allowing me to pull her into a hug.
“Thanks for everything you’ve done for me, Marsha.” I rested my chin on top of her head. “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful. You’ve been way more than an aunt to me. You’ve been a mom too.”
“Stop,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re going to make me cry.”
I chuckled, holding her until she moved away, popping to kiss me on the cheek. “I never had any kids of my own, but I can’t imagine having another child I love as much as you.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the door before I could respond. “Come on! I can’t wait to show you this place!”
---
“Blessed be, Vance.”
The unison of voices rose to greet me and I stared around the circle at the faces revealed from beneath their hoods. Everyone was smiling and seemed truly happy, welcoming Marsha and me with open arms as they crowded around us, speaking excited greetings.
Marsha seemed as thrilled as they were, but all I could feel was nerves tinged with fear. We’d just shared our story with strangers and bound ourselves to their coven. What if they proved untrustworthy? What if this was the beginning of our downfall?
Openly studying each person in the room, I didn’t feel any malice or threat. But that concerned me as well. Did these witches even know the evil that existed out there? How could they prepare if they never had any experience with it?
The only people I really had any trust at all for were Sean Mullins and his mother, who seemed like a powerful witch from what I could tell. Sean was apparently a government agent of some kind, though his job was a secret. That gave me the tiniest sliver of hope, thinking perhaps he had a few extra resources at his disposal to use while watching out for us.
Sean caught me staring and gestured for me to follow him. I did, stepping from the dark, earthen basement room into the hallway. Candlelight danced over his features, catching the light in his eye as he stared at me seriously.
“Vance, I have a special request for you.”
My pulse lifted as I wondered what he could possibly want. “What’s that?” I asked casually, never breaking my cool exterior. I was an expert at not showing emotion, when needed.
“I understand you’re going to be starting school tomorrow. Marsha says you’ve fallen behind a grade due to all the times you’ve had to run. You’ll be a sophomore, right?”
I nodded in reply.
“So you’re an underclassman, like my daughter Portia. She’s a freshman.”
Shifting uncomfortably, I folded my arms, not liking where this conversation was headed. Was she some loser he wanted me to befriend or something? “I’m not really into hanging out with anyone new these days,” I replied. “Too many complications when we have to leave suddenly.”
Sean scrutinized me for a moment and I recognized a brief flash of sympathy in his gaze. “That’s perfect then. As rude as it sounds, I was actually going to ask you to not be friends with her. She’s completely unaware of her impending magical abilities and has no idea witches truly exist. I’d like to keep her in the dark until her sixteenth birthday.”
This surprised me. My parents had openly expressed their magic around me from birth. “Why don’t you want her to know?”
He shrugged. “Her mother isn’t a witch. We felt magic might change the way she would see things; so, we chose to give her as normal a life as possible.”
A normal life. There was no way I could argue with that. It was something I craved above all else. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay away and keep your secret.”
Obvious relief coursed through him. “Thank you, Vance. I appreciate it.” He clapped my shoulder in a friendly gesture and reentered the ritual room to join the rest of the coven.
I slid the hooded robe off my shoulders and continued down the hall, leaving it on a table in the large supply room before climbing the secret stairs leading out of the basement.
---
“Why’d you leave?” Marsha’s hands rested against her hips as she stared at me. I knew she was upset. “People wanted to visit with you.”
Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair before continuing to click the remote, flicking through channel after channel. I finally turned it off, realizing Marsha had moved.
“Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I simply don’t see the point of making friends. We never stick around in one place long enough for it to do any good and erasing people’s memories doesn’t have to happen if we don’t get that close to them in the first place. I figure I’ll stick to myself as much as possible. Save myself some grief.”
She sighed heavily and came to sit on the suede sofa next to me. “I hate how cynical all this has made you. You know I’d change things if I could.”
“I’m not blaming you, Marsha. None of this is your fault. I only wish we could find a way to fix things once and for all.”
“I do too.” She patted my knee and stood, glancing around the small, but nicely decorated, room. The brown tones of dark wood, mixed with soft neutral fabrics and pops of red and gold accent colors, provided inviting warmth under the recessed and accent lighting. It was the nicest place we’d lived in a long time. “I feel a really positive vibe here. And it’s nice to belong to a coven again. It will strengthen us. Maybe this will finally be the place that gives you the change you’re hoping for.” She turned to study me. “Just try, okay? For me?”
Standing, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek. “You’ve been taking care of me for a long time now; and I appreciate everything you do. I’m happy you like it here.”
“I love it here already. We have a pretty home and nice new friends; but it means nothing to me if you aren’t happy too.”
“Don’t worry about me.” I wanted her to have this peace in her life. Hell, I wanted it in mine.
She squeezed me tightly before heading to the kitchen. “You’re all ready for your first day of school tomorrow
?”
I groaned. “Yeah. Super excited.” I rolled my eyes and she laughed at my sarcasm.
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”
“Another day, another school. Story of my life,” I replied. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now.”
Chapter Three
Journal Entry:
Back to school—I’ve lost track of how many I’ve attended now. Guess I’ll find out soon enough if there’s anything that’ll make this one different from all the others. Here goes nothing.
***
It was my first day of school. I’d made it halfway through the day without having to really talk to anyone. Being the sullen loner was something I’d perfected long ago, and it usually kept most people at bay.
Lunch consisted of sitting under a tree, trying to avoid the silly giggles and laughter from the endless parade of idiotic girls trying to catch my attention. Pretending to be oblivious worked best, so I focused on pulling random blades of grass from the ground while biting into the apple in my hand.
It's not like I wasn't interested in girls—I definitely was. I was just tired of not having the chance to get to know the ones I liked before having to move. I already missed Amber. She was amazing, and she could kiss like . . . well, there wasn’t any point in thinking about her kisses because I wouldn’t be experiencing them ever again.
My grumblings and thoughts consumed me. I hated running—despised constantly looking over my shoulder for him, always so close to being found out. It was totally messing up my life. Sixteen and only a sophomore? I should've been a junior. Hopefully, this time would be different.
I took another bite of my apple, redirecting my gaze away from the group of girls who were twittering together off to my left, focusing on a nearby set of doors that led from the gym to the quad.
That's when I saw her.
She stepped out of the doorway, walking next to some other girl, but my attention was instantly riveted on her. Every emotion she was feeling at that moment washed over me. I gasped, having never experienced anything quite like it before.
This girl was different. She was magical. Literally.
The warlock inside me lifted his head in curious admiration. She was young, probably only a freshman, but she was beautiful in a totally understated way. I was instantly drawn to her, watching her petite form as she moved toward the cafeteria.
A light breeze caught her black hair, stirring it slightly away from her face as she smiled at her friend. The air carried the music of her laughter to me, and the high and low notes blended in perfect harmony in my mind. She was . . . content, happy, secure, and amused about whatever her friend was telling her. She was everything I was not and I knew I had to know her.
“Excuse me,” I said, turning to one of the girls hovering nearby. She looked down at me with a hopeful expression. “Do you know who that girl is?”
I glanced back toward the beautiful girl, but not before seeing the crestfallen look on my informant’s face as she lifted her head to follow my gaze.
“Who? The blonde?” she asked icily.
“No. The one with the black hair,” I replied, not taking my eyes off her.
“Her?” she replied with an incredulous tone. I turned, narrowing my eyes cynically. She shrank back for a second before squaring her shoulders and flipping her hair with one hand. “That's Portia Mullins.” She turned away from me to whisper with her friends again.
Portia Mullins. Oh, the irony.
I knew exactly who she was. She was the underage daughter of my new benefactor—the one who had sworn to help protect me—the girl I'd been instructed not to interact with because she had no idea she was a witch, or that her family was part of a magical coven. I wasn't to have any contact with her until she turned sixteen and discovered her true heritage. That’s when she’d be inducted into her coven. My coven. The coven I willingly bound myself to and could not betray.
She lifted her head and looked right at me. I fought for control as I turned my eyes away with what I hoped was a bored, uninterested glance. But my heart raced slightly when I felt her emotions—her pulse picked up at the sight of me. She felt . . . intrigued, perhaps even attracted, but it was immediately replaced by deflation. She didn't feel worthy of my notice. If only she knew.
Portia and her friend entered the cafeteria. Even though she was gone from my sight, I could still feel her.
Unexpectedly, I became very angry. I’d connected with a person on a level I’d never before experienced, and I couldn't even get to know her. The need to punch something coursed through me.
Standing, I strode across the parking lot to my bike, knowing full well that cutting class on my first day of school was going to get me into trouble; but I didn’t care. One thing was for certain: I was going to stay in this place and get to know Portia Mullins . . . even if it got me killed.
Gunning the engine, I peeled out of the parking lot, not knowing for sure where I was headed. Weaving my way through the moderate traffic, I passed the tourist area of town and found myself on the winding road of Oak Creek Canyon. I’d only driven through here once, on our way to Sedona from Flagstaff; but I found the scenery soothing. Giant oak trees shaded the road with their branches, affording peeks here and there of towering cliffs in white and reddish-orange. The sounds of the engine reverberating off the canyon walls intruded on the surrounding beauty.
Passing Slide Rock National Park, I continued until I came to a small dirt lane on my left. I turned and followed it over a narrow bridge that crossed Oak Creek and as it curved at the base of the canyon wall, going slightly up the side before dead-ending in a circle of trees. Shutting down the engine, I surveyed the scene around me, glancing at the towering cliffs overhead.
Having nothing better to do, I decided it was time to do some exploring and maybe find a relaxing place where I could try to center myself. Everything inside me felt like it was spinning out of control.
---
Hours later, I stared at the lights of Oak Creek and Sedona as they twinkled below me. Perched on the edge of a large flat rock, I was beginning to believe the myths about this place. There did seem to be something almost magical—healing even. Everything was more peaceful here and made me feel like I had better control and could sort out my feelings.
Reluctantly, I stood and began making my way through the trees and brush, back to my motorcycle. I’d been here for way too long and unfortunately had no cell service. Marsha would be frantic by now, wondering where I had disappeared to.
Driving home, I found myself thinking again about Portia Mullins and the connection I’d felt with her. I was actually anxious to find her at school tomorrow, just to see if the same thing happened again.
I intended to keep my word to her father. He was offering me protection, after all. Respecting his wishes was the least I could do. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t learn a little more about her. I’d never been around a witch who didn’t know she was one. It intrigued me—made me wonder if she’d be angry with her family when she found out what they’d hidden. Nothing had ever been kept secret from me. Magic was the only world I’d ever known.
My phone vibrated repeatedly in my pocket, alerting me to the many messages I had from Marsha. I knew it was her. This was a new phone with a new number. No one else would be calling it.
I pulled into the tourist section of town and parked in front of a packed Mexican food restaurant, with delicious aromas coming from the open windows, drifting out to tempt everyone who was strolling about enjoying the September air.
Meet me at that Mexican place when U 1st come in 2 town. Let’s eat dinner, I texted Marsha, not even bothering to read all her previous messages.
Her reply was quick. U R in sooooo much trouble right now!
I chuckled to myself. Just doing some thinking. Come on. I’m hungry!!
I’m not letting this go, Vance! U gave me a heart attack! I’ve been frantic!
Sorry, I replied, really meaning it. out in person! Hungry!
Grrr! U drive me crazy!
Grinning, I slipped the phone in my pocket and got off my bike, knowing she was on her way. Heading up the stairs into the restaurant, I found a cute hostess waiting at the top.
She eyed me with a smile, her gaze pausing on my leather jacket before traveling down to my boots and back again. “Can I help you?”
“I need a table for two, please. I’m meeting someone here.”
She gave me a wink. “Your girlfriend?”
I chuckled. “No, my aunt. We just moved here—no girlfriend.”
“Well, welcome to Sedona then! What name will your aunt ask for when she arrives?”
This girl was smooth.
“Harry Bernstein,” I replied, not missing a beat. She quickly jotted it down.
“Perfect. Follow me, Harry, and I’ll get you set up at a table with a view.” She grabbed a couple of menus and led me to a small table that overlooked the street and tourist shops, with the outline of the giant cliffs in the background. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, this is great.” My mouth was watering at the delicious smells floating through the air. The place was pretty packed.
“So are you going to college at NAU?”
I laughed. “I’m only sixteen. Still in high school.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. “Afraid so.”
“Wow. I thought for sure you were in college. Those lucky high school girls must be climbing all over you.”
Maybe, if I could ever stay in one place long enough for them to do it. “Not really.” I shrugged.
“Well, then they’re stupid.” She glanced back toward her station. “Sarah will be your server tonight. I’ll bring your aunt when she arrives.”
“Thank you.” I took a menu from her, quickly deciding on a chicken chimichanga with green sauce, before closing it.
I pulled out my phone and sent Marsha a text. Ask for Harry Bernstein when U get here. I didn’t wait to see if she’d reply; instead, I simply sat, staring out the window.