Fire Spell (10 page)

I tried to think what this place could have been. It was fortified like a military fort, but looked like a castle with the turret. The most famous fort in this area was Fort Sumter, and I could see it from this little island, so it didn’t make sense that there would be another one so close by. The bricks were crumbling and oyster shells were piled along the borders of the wall. Whatever this place was, it had been here for over a hundred years and had been abandoned long ago.

I spun in the air when I heard a rustling sound. I relaxed when I saw it was only a seagull returning to its nest. I shouldn’t be this jumpy. I felt slightly more comfortable on the outside of the wall; something about this place was completely creepy. I drifted along the stone wall, waiting for Leo or Lily to reemerge.

Then I heard it. The hiss. The screeching, hissing voice that invaded my dreams. He was calling out to someone. I whipped around to see the cloaked figure walk from one end of the compound to the other.
Oh my God
. Was I living in one of my nightmares?

I soared backward, creating distance between the hooded man and myself. The line that separated my bad dreams from my Foresights had become so blurred I couldn’t sort through them anymore. My instincts were jumbled, and my witchy tingle burned inside my mind. I froze as he spun in my direction and stared directly into my eyes.

Sullen’s Grove, 2004

“I
HAVE
been working on this spell for two years now. Don’t you think I should be able to go to Paris or something?” I huffed at my grandmother.

She was trying not to lose her patience with me, but it wasn’t always easy, considering how I wanted instant spell gratification.

She waved her hand through the air, creating a rainbow overhead.

“What is that about?” I rolled my eyes at the beams of color.

“That—” She pointed to the ceiling. “—is to remind you that there are happy, wonderful things in magic that you can do, like making rainbows.” She patted my shoulder. “You’ll go to Paris and wherever else you want to go, Ivy. You’re a unique witch.” She eyed me. “And I’m not saying that only because you’re my granddaughter. You have talent, but I would recommend some patience.”

I was leaving for college in a week, and I knew that magical studies and practice would have to wait until I was home for a break. I couldn’t risk trying any of my spells when I was around so many humans. Deep down, I was partially relieved to have an excuse to do normal girl things. I could paint my nails, study Jane Austen’s themes, and eat loads of pizza. That’s what regular college students did, right? The
Time Spell
could wait.

“I’m going to miss you being around so much. I enjoy our practice every week.” Gigi walked toward the kitchen. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes.” I nodded and followed her into the next room as she retrieved a pitcher from the refrigerator and poured two tall glasses. “Gigi, how long did it take you to complete the
Time Spell
you wanted?”

She did everything flawlessly; I imagined she was successful on her first attempt. She handed me a glass and slid into a seat at the kitchen table.

“I was actually older than you.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Really?” The tea was sweet and lemony, just the way I liked it.

“I was in my twenties before I really came into my full magical abilities.” She looked out the kitchen window. “It seems like another lifetime.”

“Did you want to be a Traveler?”

“I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I was sixteen, except go to dances and meet boys.” She giggled. “It took me awhile to accept magic in my life, but once I did, I found out I could do more than I ever thought was possible.” She took a sip and smiled. “It will be like that for you too. You’re very strong, my dear. You’ll be able to do the most amazing things. Be patient and don’t give up your practice. One day all of this will make sense, and you’ll know your place in the magical universe.”

Before I could prod her further, the phone rang. She walked across the kitchen to answer it.

“Oh, hi, Elizabeth. Yes, I have everything ready for the church auction. Mmm…hmm.”

I listened as she reported how many articles she had sewn for the upcoming charity event. Little did they know, her needle and thread had a life of their own. She had probably stitched fifty aprons in less than two hours. She and my mother were similar like that. The two of them together were a domestic force to be reckoned with.

“Right, right. Just tell Hazel I’ll drop everything off in the morning. Ok. Bye-bye.” She returned the phone to its cradle and faced me.

“I better get going, Gigi. I still have packing to do and I’m not sure how I’m going to get all my clothes in my suitcases. You think I should try a
Shrinking Spell
?” I giggled, picturing all my outfits the size of Barbie clothes.

She crossed the room and hugged me. “Stop by before you leave town, ok?”

“I will.” I pulled my keys from my purse.

“And don’t forget what I said. You are a strong witch. This will all make sense eventually. You have a great purpose.”

I waved goodbye and pulled the kitchen door closed behind me. I knew she was trying to help, but that was our last practice. My only purpose right now was figuring out what to wear on my first day of classes. College was on the horizon, and traveling spells would get my attention another day.

Charleston, 1949

The man from my Foresight was staring in my eyes. I had never seen pupils swirl with so many flecks of orange and red before. In all my dreams, he had kept his face hidden, but now I saw only his eyes and I wanted to fly as fast and as hard as I could back to the seam. However, I couldn’t leave while Leo and Lily were still in the compound.

I pushed the panic back that wanted to tear through my body. I fluttered to the side and closer to the shore, hoping he only sensed me and maybe didn’t see me. He had the kind of eyes that could sear through metal. I was in a
Double
Fade Spell
, after all. He didn’t follow my movement, and for a second, I let myself breathe again. Just because he didn’t see me, didn’t mean Lily and Leo weren’t still in danger. They were on the ground and hadn’t returned.

I wish I knew what the directives were from the council. I also wish I knew what the council was. Who would put these witches in danger like this? I didn’t know much, but I knew the hooded man was pure evil. Evil like I had never encountered except in my worst nightmares.

His cape enveloped him like a black cloud, and he turned to enter one of the doors under the turret. A few seconds later, I saw my grandmother and Leo walk to the center of the courtyard and push off for flight. They were silent as they flew back to the park. There was no doubt I was glad to be away from the island, but new fear had gripped me and I didn’t know if I would ever be able to shake it. I had seen evil’s face.

They touched down next to Leo’s car. I was careful to make a soft landing nearby.

“I didn’t think there would be that many here so quickly,” Lily whispered.

“No, me either. It’s still four weeks until the full moon.” Leo looked worried. He had lost his carefree smirk.

“I think we need to call the council together right now. They have to know what we’re dealing with.”

“All right, let’s go.”

They entered the car, shed their
Fade Spells
, and Leo sped off toward town. I had to follow them, but fatigue was starting to set in. I didn’t know how much more I could process tonight.

I trailed them along narrow corridors until the car stopped near a museum. They were still dressed in black and looked like thieves as they tiptoed along the sidewalk to the back of the building.

Leo pulled on the handle and ushered my grandmother in. I would have to wait to let myself in once they were away from the door. I landed on the stoop, counted to five, and braced myself for meeting the council.

The hallway was dark and smelled musty like an old garage. I guess this is what the back of museums smell like. I followed the murmur of voices. At the end of the hall, I turned for the next corridor and stopped. A group of witches was gathered in the break room; my grandmother and Leo were in the center.

“Lily, you think all one hundred were there?” A man with a goatee and striped bow tie asked. He looked like a museum curator.

“One hundred?” a shorter woman piped in over the group’s rumblings.

Leo put his hand in the air to quiet the crowd. “We both scoured the area. They have all assembled.”

The shock and awe fell on the room.

“Listen, let’s calm down.” The bowtie man seemed to be the leader. “Leo, Lily, thank you for your work tonight.” He nodded at them. “We knew this was going to be a tough battle, but you both signed on knowing that ridding the world of evil wouldn’t be easy. If it were that easy, it would have been taken care of. Your families have selected you, because you each have special skills. Skills that are necessary to bring light back into the world.”

Everyone’s heads bobbed in agreement. “With that being said, we need to move swiftly. They only gather every sixty-five years. This is the year. This is the spring we can take them down. With our Guardian and Laurel, we have the power to extinguish them forever.” He slammed his fist on the table. “No more removing them one at a time. No more tracking them around the world. We can end the plague they have launched at us in one sweep. If we don’t, we have to wait another sixty-five years.

Spells that are in place are in jeopardy. Be careful what promises you make and what magic you use. If they are still searching for power, none of our spells are safe.”

The group was silent. I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my nerves. I wanted to reveal myself more than I ever had. I had questions and desperately needed answers. If I shed my spell now, I could never come back to this moment. What if I needed to observe this meeting again? What if, by revealing myself, I set off some horrific butterfly effect that changed all outcomes? I bit my bottom lip, willing myself to stay hidden.

A woman with red curly hair leaned over to whisper in the leader’s ear.

He cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but Jana has picked up on a visitor.”

I froze. He couldn’t be talking about me. I looked around the room for someone who might be out of place.

He continued. “She says the visitor is a good witch, but I ask that you reveal yourself. I presume you’re using a
Double Fade Spell
.” He turned to face the open door of the lounge. “We can use all of the good forces of the world right now. Please, show yourself.”