14. Ethan

Chapter 14

Ethan

The hallways are so damn quiet at the end of the semester. I can hear myself breathe as I make it to my grandmother’s office, where I’m not surprised to find her waiting for me.

“Have you made your decision?” I ask as I drop into the seat across from her.

Her lips twitch. “I have conditions.”

“No.” I pull out my phone, ready to call a meeting of the covens.

“I’ll drop the barrier, but you can’t touch the demon.”

“What demon?” I ask innocently.

She grinds her teeth. “You know the one. Somehow you remember him. I know it.”

“Except I don’t, and I think this has something to do with it.” I pull out my pendant. “I want it off. Take away the memory spell, now.”

“No.”

“Then I’ll have to force it off.” I yank, but the necklace doesn’t budge.

“You need that for your own protection and the protection of everyone around you.”

“I may need the part where it represses my magic, but I don’t need the memory spell and never have. Take. It. Off.”

“No.” She crosses her arms over her chest and leans back as if she’s already won.

“Cordia.”

She sucks in a breath and looks like I struck her. I never use her name, always grandmother or memaw. But never Cordia. “We’re both adults and you’ve overstepped with your meddling in my life. I demand to have control over myself, memories, and magic. Release me.”

“I can’t. It was demon forged. Only a demon can remove it. But I advise you from taking it off. You may get your memories back, but at what cost?”

I push to my feet and slam my hands on her desk. “You tell me.”

She looks away before sighing and rummaging through her desk for something. She holds up another necklace, this one emerald. “If you insist on removing that one for memories of a pathetic crossroads demon, then you need to be wearing this one. It’s not as powerful, though, so I won’t guarantee that it’ll work as well.”

I take the offered necklace. “Because you didn’t use my magic to create it? Yes. I know you’re using my own magic against me to keep me trapped. Otherwise, there’s no way you’d be able to keep me behind these stupid barriers. Let me live my life. What are you so afraid of?” I sink back into the chair across from her. “I’ve done so much of what you’ve asked of me,” I whisper. “Please, let me go.”

When she blinks, tears roll down her cheeks. “I love you. Everything I’ve done is to keep you safe after I fucked up. I didn’t know how my deal would affect you.”

“You have to let me make my own choices. Florence doesn’t deserve to be bound to me because of you. They don’t deserve to be forced into a life they don’t want because a bunch of covens want power. What is power if you don’t have freedom with it? I don’t want to lead. I want to teach and love and enjoy life. Right now, Florence and I live a half life because of all the choices made for us. Yes, I get to teach, but Florry doesn’t want that and never has. They’re even worse off than I am.”

My grandmother openly sobs, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “I’m sorry, my sweet Ethan. My hands are tied. If we call off the wedding, the other covens will call for a change of leadership.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” I ask.

“Spellers have ruled since the beginning. I won’t be the one to let us fall. You must?—”

“I won’t take up the mantle of coven head or leader of Hex. I want a much quieter life. Perhaps it’s time for the covens to bring the demons back into leadership and shifters and vampires and?—”

“No one else has the ability to rule like witches.”

“That’s totally not elitist.” I roll my eyes. “I want the barrier down. I will touch my demon if I so choose?—”

“No, you won’t. The moment you touch, you’ll be sent right back to your bedroom in my house.”

“Remove whatever spell that does that.”

Grandmother waves to me. “The pendant serves multiple purposes.”

It takes everything in me not to shout. “Then it’s a good thing I know some demons.” I push to my feet. “I’m not joking. Remove the barrier or I’ll tell the covens why I’m so powerful.”

“I still have time.”

“Midnight or I’m calling the meeting.” Again, I slam the door. This time I mean it.

I pull my phone from my pocket.

Ethan: Snag. I’ll be at the party, but we might not be able to touch.

At least not until I get the necklace off. I shove the emerald pendant in my pocket. There’s no way I’m putting it on until I have Florence test it.

Wick: Just seeing you and talking will be enough for now.

Ethan: I may have found a way to get my memories back and if that’s the case, then we can touch. It’s an experiment.

To see if my grandmother told me the truth or not.

Wick: Experiments can be fun. Anything I can do to help?

Ethan: Actually. Yes. I need to talk to Pike.

For some reason I didn’t think to get his number and so far I think he’s the only one I know that can get past the barrier spells. Well, him and Lark.

Wick: I’m on it.

About a minute later, an unknown number calls and I pick it up.

“Hey, Wick said you needed to talk to me for an experiment?”

“Can you meet me at the labyrinth in like twenty minutes? I need to test something, and you’re the only demon I know that can get past my grandmother’s wards.”

“Sure thing. See you then.”

“Thank you!” We end the call, and I rush all the way to the labyrinth without stopping. Florence is off doing their own thing for the time being, and I don’t have time to find them to tell them my plan. I just hope it works.

Pike joins me sooner than I expect. He’s huge and his wings are tucked in, his tail wiggles behind him. “What can I help you with?”

I pace in front of him. “I didn’t think this through. I don’t have an offering for you or anything, just gratitude.”

Pike chuckles. “I don’t need an offering anymore. Besides, if this is for Wick, I’d do it for free even if I needed an offering. He’s like a little brother to me and I want him happy again.”

I nod and stand in front of him. “Can you take this necklace off me? My grandmother says it was demon forged so only a demon can remove it. I don’t know if it needs to be a certain demon, or any demon, so this is an experiment.”

Pike nods and looks at the chain. “No clasp.”

I shake my head. “Yank it off if you can, please.”

He grabs the sapphire pendant and pulls. The chain cuts into the back of my neck and I’m hopeful, but even when he uses more strength, all it does is hurt.

“I think it’s a failed experiment,” Pike says.

Both our shoulders drop. “Looks like. Thank you for trying, though. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.” Pike says before poofing out.

I sag onto the bench right outside the labyrinth.

Ethan: Experiment failed. I’m sorry.

Wick: Don’t be sorry.

Ethan: I don’t have anything to do tonight, want to talk?

Instead of texting me back, Wick video calls me.

“I’m always interested in talking with you, my little witch.”

It’s so good to hear your voice. I explain what I had Pike do and Wick grins.

“What if, and hear me out, what if Cordia rigged it so I have to be the one to remove the pendant?”

“Hmmm, explain?”

“We can’t touch, right? And you don’t remember me. She would have had to use a bit of my essence to make such a strong charm. The chain may have been demon forged, and Pike couldn’t remove it because it didn’t register his energy. You can’t remove it because your magic doesn’t allow it. So, we have to find the break of the spell, then I should be able to remove it.”

“That’s the thing. I was hoping just to remove the pendant for everything to work.”

“It wouldn’t be that simple. She would have put a requirement on the pendant and it’d have to include me.”

“I know you’re right.” I sigh. “In other news, I think she’s going to remove the barrier that keeps me and Florence locked where she wants us. At least for my birthday. It’ll be a good time for me to search for your crossroads. Maybe we can just make a deal and then we won’t have to worry about anything.”

“That would be perfect.”

“Wouldn’t it?” I say as I tip my head to the blue sky. “What’s the first thing you want to do when you’re free?”

Wick snorts. “I don’t know. For the longest time, my only desires was to find you and be released from my crossroads. Maybe I can open up a bakery.”

“Your sugar cookies are some of the best I’ve ever tasted.”

“I’m glad to hear it. They were the ones I wanted to perfect the most. I really have fallen in love with baking. What do you plan to do when you’re free of your arranged marriage?”

“Dunno.” I shrug. “My life has been trying to figure out how to get out of it and hoping the demon in my dreams was real. I love being a teacher. Maybe we could travel.”

“I’d go anywhere with you, Ethan.”

I believe him, too.

“Wick, where’d you run off to?” Van’s voice shouts in the background.

Warwick laughs and leans towards the phone. “I’m supposed to be helping with the decorations for the party.”

“You should go help your friends. We’ll have our time, Wick. I promise.”

His smile lights up his face. “I… have friends. I really do.”

“Enjoy yourself, my demon.”

“See you soon, my little witch.”

My heart aches just a bit when we get off the phone, but I’m so happy for him. I have a feeling Wick doesn’t trust people easily, and he has few friends. But somehow, I made it past his wards and into his heart. I just wish I could remember.

It’s still hours upon hours before midnight, so I decide to plot my plan for Wick’s crossroads. He said they’re gravel and he could see my grandmother’s house from it. Should be easy enough to find. Hopefully.

My grandmother will be at Hex University for a while longer. She’s always there until late on the last day of the semester, so I sneak back into her house where Vi finds me.

“Hello my little love. Would you search my grandmother’s journals for anything on this pendant? The secret journals in her bedroom.”

Vi nods with her whole body and zips out.

“Thank you!” I rush to find the rolls of Hex, Indiana town maps I remember seeing as a kid. I’d sit around for hours in the study and memorize them. How I know that, but not the town anymore, I don’t know. I grind my teeth as I unroll the first map.

I find my grandmother’s mansion and lightly circle it with a pencil, then search for all the crossroads with Wick’s description.

Ethan: What part of my grandmother’s house can you see from your crossroads?

Wick: Front door.

That narrows it down even further.

Ethan: Straight on, or from an angle?

Wick: Angle. I can barely see the pool house, too.

Narrows it down the most.

Ethan: Down to seven crossroads. I’ll find you, Wick.