Witchcraft and War

  "Already did," he said with a wink and a shy smile. "I know you, remember?"

  I smiled too, relieved. Then Jazmine arrived, just as soaked as Amy. She threw herself next to me and sprayed water on me when she took off her jacket. She grunted, annoyed.

  "I hate this weather. Isn't it supposed to be summer?"

  "This is summer around here, I’m afraid," I said.

  "Ugh. I hate this constant rain."

  Amy and I exchanged a look as Jayden brought us our food. The smell alone was so satisfying. I ate a couple of curly fries even though they were burning hot.

  "Do you want something to eat?" Jayden asked Jazmine.

  She barely looked at him, then grumbled. "Just a milkshake, please."

  "What type?"

  She exhaled. "It doesn’t matter."

  "Strawberry?" Jayden asked.

  "Sure. Whatever."

  It was obvious that Jazmine found it hard to even talk to Jayden. It had been going on for a little while now, and I wondered if it would ever be better. I wasn't sure I understood her reaction since we all knew she had nothing to do with Logan's death. Still, she apparently felt that she did. I sunk my teeth into my burger while Jayden left. Amy drank from her milkshake.

  "Could you not slurp it so loudly?" Jazmine asked.

  I looked at her.

  "What?"

  I shook my head. "Nothing."

  "How's the girl doing?" Amy asked, chewing. "My parents told me your mom agreed to take her in."

  "She's okay, I think," I said. "Her name is Veronika. She doesn’t say anything. I can't get her to speak to me, but she seems to like me. Besides, it's nice to have another girl in the house."

  "I bet," Amy said. "You think your family can keep their teeth away from her?"

  I sighed. The thought had struck me a couple of times. I hadn't known Veronika more than a day, but already I felt very protective of her and, to be honest, I didn't trust my cousins around her. I had seen Huey and how he looked at her during dinner the night before. I knew that look in his eyes a little too well, but luckily, so did my mother and she had sworn to protect Veronika. I just hoped that she would keep that promise. I had almost brought Veronika with me to the diner, but my mom told me not to. She wouldn't explain why, and I got the feeling she was afraid someone might see her and know she was staying with us. I was very curious to know more.

  I took another bite of my burger while wondering how Veronika was doing back at the house. I had left her in my room watching TV.

  "Could anyone explain to me what you're talking about?" Jazmine asked. "What girl?"

  I shrugged. "I don't really know much, to be honest. Just that she is an orphan."

  "She lost her parents," Amy said. "Mr. Aran took them. Our mothers found her in the RV where they lived. She was hiding."

  "Was my mom there too?" Jazmine asked.

  "Yes," Amy said. "All four of them worked together, even Robyn's and Jayden's moms."

  "I heard them when they came to our house with the girl," I said. "They asked my mom to take care of her."

  "So, you're telling me that my mom, my mom, helped save some kid from Mr. Aran?" Jazmine asked.

  I nodded while chewing. "Yes. Why is that so surprising?"

  Jazmine shook her head. "I just…I’m just surprised is all."

  "What I want to know is what kind of powers her parents had since Mr. Aran took them," Amy said. "They must have had some and have used them illegally. My parents have told me Mr. Aran is like a police officer of sorts who is allowed to take you down if you use your abilities. We're not allowed to use them and especially not when there is a risk that humans might see us." Amy looked at me. "Were they vampires?"

  I shook my head. "I don't know anything about them. My mom hasn't told me anything. But there was one thing…" I looked in the booth behind us. It was empty. I leaned forward. "When she touched my hand, it was like she…flickered for a few seconds. It's hard to explain, but it was like she wasn't really…there anymore. And then when it stopped, she whimpered and crawled under the dining table, and it took me an hour to get her out of there. It was like it scared her. Like she was afraid. And, frankly, it scared me a little too."

  "Maybe she's a witch," Amy said and looked at Jazmine, who had gotten her milkshake and was drinking it.

  "What?" Jazmine snapped. "So, you think we have some sort of connection just because of that?"

  "What's going on with you?" I asked. "It can't just be because of what happened to Logan."

  Jazmine finished her milkshake. She answered with a shrug.

  "Jazmine?" Amy said. "You can share it with us. Whatever it is."

  Jazmine looked at me, then at Amy, and I could tell she was wondering if that was true.

  "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

  I sighed. "After what we’ve been through so far, I'll say try me."

  Chapter Ten

  Jazmine's eyes locked with mine. Her mouth opened, her lips parted, but still, no words came out of them. Just a ragged breath before she finally shaped a few words.

  "My…mom…" She paused for a few seconds, wetting her lips before she continued. "I watched her…" Jazmine paused, then leaned over and whispered the last words.

  "I saw her kill someone."

  I let the words sink in, but somehow, they wouldn't. It was just too strange.

  "Your mom?" I asked.

  "Your mom?" Amy repeated.

  "Yes. My mom."

  "W-who? Who did she kill?" Amy asked.

  "Remember those two teenagers that were found in their burnt-out car?" Jazmine said.

  "On Make-out Mountain?" Amy asked, half gasping.

  Jazmine swallowed. "Yes. Those two."

  "Wait. Wait a second," I said. "You're telling us that your mom killed those two?"

  Jazmine nodded. "Yes."

  I stared at her, then shook my head. "That can't be. You must be mistaken."

  Amy chimed in, "Yeah, Jazmine. That sounds really far off."

  "What does?" Jayden approached our table and sat down next to Amy.

  "Jazmine is telling us she thinks her mother killed those two on Make-out Mountain."

  Jayden wrinkled his forehead. "That can't be."

  "That's what we told her," I said.

  Jazmine exhaled. "I told you that you wouldn't believe me."

  "You're serious?" Amy asked.

  "I saw her," Jazmine said. "I found a spell that turned me into a fly and then clung to her collar. I wanted to see where she went. I wish I never had. I saw her rip them open, then use a can of gas to set the car on fire afterward. There you have it. Believe me or not. It happened."

  "I don't believe it," I said. "It's too far-fetched. You have the sweetest mother. If it were my mother, then yes, I would believe it in a heartbeat. But not yours. No way."

  "I find it hard to believe too," Amy said.

  "I believe it," Jayden said.

  We all looked at him.

  "Nowhere in the media has it been said that a can of gas was used to set the car on fire afterward. There's no way Jazmine could have known if she wasn't there. I only know because my dad told me. They kept it a secret since they didn't know how to explain that a wolf was capable of setting a car on fire using a can of gas. It made no sense. But now that the wolf is dead…" Jayden took in a deep breath, and I felt his sadness across the table. I wanted to grab his hand in mine, to comfort him, to let him know I was there for him if he needed me, but for some reason, I didn't. I hesitated and then the moment was gone.

  "Now that they’ve declared the wolf dead, they consider the case closed," he said. "It's over, they say."

  "Except it’s not," Jazmine said.

  "So, you think that your mom killed those other kids too?" I asked.

  Jazmine looked away. I detected a tear in her eye. She blinked it away. "That's what I’m afraid of."

  I finished my burger while wondering about this. I simply couldn't grasp the idea that Jazmine's mother
could ever hurt anyone.

  "But it was a wolf," I said. "They all said it was. Melanie too. She was face to face with it, remember? She was bitten and became…what she is today."

  "Yeah, it makes no sense," Amy said.

  "I was definitely attacked by a wolf too," I said. "I have no doubt that's what it was."

  Jazmine's eyes flickered. She had wondered about that too, I could tell. She shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it. Maybe she used a spell or something to hide who she really was. What do I know? Maybe she turned herself into looking like a wolf?"

  "Is that possible?" Jayden asked.

  Jazmine shrugged. "I guess. I made myself into a fly. Only for an hour, but maybe that’s all that it took?"

  "I still don't believe it," Amy said. "Whatever it was that attacked Melanie and bit her also made her a werewolf. It wasn't just some silly disguise. It was the real deal."

  "Well, I don't know how these things work," Jazmine said, getting agitated. Her eyes were firing red now and her nails as well. "All I know is what I saw, OKAY?"

  "Take it easy. Calm down, Jazmine," I said. "We'll figure it out. There has to be an explanation. I am sure there is, right guys?"

  Jayden looked confused. Amy breathed in deeply, then nodded. "Of course. We'll help you find it."

  Jayden reached out and grabbed Jazmine's hand in his. "You're not alone in this. That much I can promise you."

  Jazmine lifted her eyes and met Jayden's; then she smiled for the first time in weeks. I did too since I felt how the two of them were reconciling after what happened to Logan.

  "Jayden is right. We need to stick together," I said. "We need each other more than ever."

  Amy nodded. "And Jazmine needs our protection. If her mother really is a killer, then she is in danger in her own house."

  "Have you thought about talking to my dad?" Jayden asked.

  Jazmine nodded. "I just…I can't…"

  "I get it. She's your mom. She's all you have left," I said. "But she's also dangerous."

  "Does she act threateningly toward you?" Amy asked, finishing her milkshake but still sucking the straw.

  "She did for a little while, but it's like it has gotten better. I stay away from her as much as I can. Last night, though, she seemed almost like herself again. I don't know. It's hard to tell. I mean, she hid this from both my dad and me, so she's probably a very good actress. I do have an idea, though. She wants me to have a slumber party for the girls this weekend. Maybe you two can come over Saturday and then see for yourself."

  I smiled. "A slumber party sounds awesome. I'll be there if I can get my mom to let me. I seem to be in pretty good standing with her lately, so there's a possibility that I might be able to. I think I’m going to ask her soon if she'd be willing to let me go back to school after the summer. I just have to figure out how to make a point she can't say no to."

  Amy nodded and let go of the straw. "I'll definitely be there."

  The door to the diner opened, and a couple entered. "I have to work," Jayden said and sprang up from his seat.

  I couldn't help myself from staring after him as he walked away, wondering if I was going to regret for the rest of my life that I let him get away.

  Chapter Eleven

  I rushed home and ran into my room, where I found Veronika sitting by my computer. She gave me half a smile when she spotted me. I breathed in relief. I had been sitting on pins and needles while at the diner, worrying about her, but to my relief, she was fine.

  "What have you been up to?" I asked and looked at the screen. She was still watching some kid show on Netflix that I had found for her.

  Barely had I gotten back before my mom stood in my room too, appearing out of nowhere. She approached me and sniffed my breath.

  "Did you eat at the diner?"

  "No," I said.

  "Good," she said. I had chewed on a piece of kale on the way back to hide the smell of chocolate milkshake on my breath. My stomach was so full it sloshed as I moved.

  "Dinner will be ready soon."

  I smiled. "Great."

  My mom grabbed my cheeks. "Are you getting a little chubby?"

  "Mom!" I pulled away.

  "Hm," she said and scrutinized me. Then her eyes fell on Veronika.

  "She's still not speaking," I said.

  My mom chuckled. "Less trouble for us. When you were that age, oh my, that mouth of yours wouldn't keep shut. You were constantly at it. Drove me nuts."

  "What happened to her parents?" I asked. Veronika was wearing headphones, so I hoped she couldn't hear us.

  "You don't need to worry yourself about that," she said. "Worry gives wrinkles, and you don't want those. Especially not before you turn…eighteen. Same with the baby fat you're carrying. It has to go. If it's not gone by the time you turn…eighteen, then it will never go away."

  She held my chin and pulled it upwards. I was a lot shorter than her, and there was a time when I believed I was going to be as tall as her one day, but it just never happened. I didn't look much like her, if anything at all. At least I didn't think so. Others had told me I looked like her while I was growing up, but I often believed that was just something they said. You know how people say stuff just to be polite or make small talk. Now I knew I didn't look like her because she wasn't human. I wondered for a second just how old she was. Grandma had told me she had left her before the war. I wondered if that was World War II when my mom had been a child. I realized she had never told me anything from her childhood. I barely knew anything about her.

  "I was just wondering. Maybe talking about her parents and what happened to them could make her open up a little. Why is she here?"

  "She has nowhere else to be," my mom said. "It's only for a little while. You don't need to get attached to her. Just look after her. I promised to take her in since no one else apparently was able to. I tried to tell them I had enough on my plate with those cousins, but no, they believed I could just take a little girl too. Like I had nothing better to do."

  "And that was the other moms in the street, right? I saw them when they left," I said trying not to let her know I had been listening in on their conversation.

  My mom exhaled. "Yes, them."

  "Even Jayden's mom was here?"

  My mom's lips tightened as the talk fell on Claire. "I believe she was, yes."

  "Does that mean you two have forgiven one another?" I tried.

  My mom's eyes grew wide. "No! This was a…special event. Nothing has changed. You still stay away from the boy. I don't want you anywhere near him or the rest of that family, you hear me?"

  "Loud and clear. So, there is nothing you can tell me about Veronika that might help me? Like how she lost her parents?"

  My mom chuckled again. "I know they were Russian. They moved here only a few years ago. Why do you want to know about that? There really isn't much to tell."

  "I heard that Mr. Aran took them. Just like he took Jazmine's dad." I was pushing it now, but I was curious and sick of never getting any answers from her.

  My mom gave me a look. "Yes…well…they broke the law."

  "So, they were criminals?" I asked.

  I could tell it had my mom thinking. "You could say that, yes."

  "But shouldn't social services take care of the girl, then?" I asked. "If the police are involved?"

  It was getting harder for my mom to find a way out of this without revealing too much. I could tell she was thinking like crazy about what to say to me.

  "Yes, well, you'd think, wouldn't you?"

  Clever as a politician. Answering a question with another question.

  "But now she’s here, and we'll take care of her till…well till they find another place for her," she said, obviously trying to close the conversation.

  "Who are they?" I asked, not letting go.

  My mom snorted. I was driving her nuts. "The government, the police, I don't know. Just…just let it be, will you?"

  My mom turned on her high heel and was about to le
ave when I threw in one last question.

  "Say, Mom?"

  She stopped, then turned only her head. "Yes?"

  "How well do you know Jazmine's mom?"

  The question puzzled her, I could tell. "Briana?"

  "Yes."

  "Not very well. They only moved in a few months ago. I hardly know her, in fact. She's nice…I guess for someone who is not…like us. Why?"

  I breathed heavily. "No reason."

  My mom stared at me, her piercing glare examining me. "What's with all these questions suddenly?"

  "I'm just curious is all. By the way, Jazmine asked if I can come to a slumber party at her house this Saturday. It'll only be me, her, and Amy."

  "A slumber party, huh? Aren't you a little too old for that sort of thing?" my mom asked.

  I shrugged. "It's just for a night."

  "You'll miss game night…again."

  "It's only because of Duncan that I’ve missed the other times. Please, Mom? I need friends."

  My mom was contemplating. I could tell I had a chance.

  "So, can I go?"

  My mom sighed. "Yes. But you better not be lying to me and going somewhere else."

  "Of course not."

  "And no boys?"

  I shook my head, biting my lip.

  "No boys."

  Chapter Twelve

  Adrian was waiting in her room when she came back home. Jazmine shrieked in surprise.

  "You left the window open again," he said. "You really should be more careful."

  "What are you doing here, Adrian?" she asked.

  "Can't a boy see his girlfriend?"

  "I don't want to be your girlfriend," she said with an exhale. "I think it's best if we don't see each other anymore. You're going away in a few weeks, remember? You won't even remember me after a few days."

  He came at her in the blink of an eye and grabbed her arm. "You're dumping me?"

  "We haven't even seen each other for weeks. Not since…"

  "You went out with him. Why did you do that?" he asked.

  "Because you stood me up, remember?"

  "That was a mistake."