14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

O nce he was out of her sight, she turned around to her friends, hands on her hips, face full of irritation. She was faced with precisely what she had expected—two downright gleeful women who looked like they would burst from excitement.

“Don't even start,” she counseled them before grabbing one of the lanterns Jill held. They would need them once they made it out to the clearing. “We've got things to do, remember?’

Tonight was the perfect night. A full moon rose in the clear sky. The air around them held a chill and the hum of magic floated on the breeze. Anything was possible.

The only sounds they made as they moved farther into nature were the crunching of leaves and grass under their shoes and the soft swish of fabric from their dresses.

Her friends walked at an easy pace, conscious that unsteady terrain through the dark was a difficult thing for Olivia to manage. They each helped whenever she needed it, holding her hand as she stepped over the occasional fallen branch or allowing her to use their shoulder or arm to steady herself.

The spot for the protection spell was always the same. A clearing in a copse of trees on the very far edge of the town square, far enough from the crowds of festivalgoers. The festival was a celebration. A reminder of what the town was and how it had come to be. Not everyone in Addersfield possessed magic, but everyone celebrated it all the same, the thing that had brought them all together.

On this night, Olivia and her friends would call on their magic and the magic of all the witches who had come before them to place the spell created by Melissa Adler, the original witch.

Over the years, the spell evolved and the wording changed, but the intent remained the same. The town would be protected from outside forces, like destructive weather or major acts of violence. Should a tourist or perhaps a lost hiker stumble upon the place where the town should be, they would find nothing but open roads and empty fields. Only if you already knew of the town would you be able to find it. Or any information related to it.

When they reached the clearing, they immediately set to work. An old oak tree stump provided an altar for everything the spell required. It would be the focal point around which they gathered.

It was also the place they kept the book. It was protected by magic to keep it from weathering with age. It could only be removed from the altar with a spell.

Parker stepped forward. “I release you from the binds that help you stand the test of time. Magic given from the past, help us to complete our task.”

She grabbed the book, passing it off for Jill to hold and then pulled a piece of chalk from the bag she carried over her shoulder; she proceeded to etch a star into the wood of the trunk. Five points, one for each element, the fifth for the witches themselves. She then placed a quartz crystal on each point of the star. The largest was placed on the top point of the star. This would be where Olivia stood, as she was the one giving her blood this year.

A sprig of dried lavender and one of sage were placed on opposite ends of the star. A handful of sea salt, black pepper and red rose petals were sprinkled around and over the star. Rosemary and bay leaves were placed at the very center, along with a few carefully laid rose thorns and another handful of hawthorn berries. The white sand shell was placed near the bottom point of the star.

They moved quickly and efficiently, like partners in a graceful dance. Olivia relished in the feeling that she was a part of something so much bigger than herself and that she carried on a tradition that went back hundreds of years.

Addersfield wasn’t the only town of its kind. Magic was passed down through bloodlines and there were people who wielded magic in different ways all over the world. But this town? It was her town. She was privileged to be able to protect it.

As she got into position at the top point of the star, Draven’s face flashed in her mind. His earnest eyes and charming smile. The thought of him made her heart race and a smile threatened to break free. There was still so much they did not know about each other, things that could break them if they weren’t careful. But she wanted him, wanted this imperfect thing they had created for themselves. She needed to be with him. Whatever had brought him here, brought him to her, it had to be magic and magic was the thing she trusted to always lead her where she needed to go. It’s what got her here.

“Olivia? You read?” Parker asked, stepping forward to hand her a knife.

She nodded, grabbing it with sure and steady hands. Angling the blade toward her right hand, she cut into the flesh of her palm, the conduit through which her magic flowed. The cut was small enough that it would heal fairly quickly but would bleed enough to serve its purpose. She hissed at the sting, her hand throbbing. Wordlessly, she handed the blade back to Parker before turning to face the altar. She raised her hand, squeezing it so that blood flowed freely from the wound, dark as ink in the night, it splattered on each point of the star and into the center. The last ingredient of the spell.

Jill passed her a small roll of gauze. She wrapped her hand quickly and quietly. They always let this wound heal on its own.

She looked into the faces of her friends, offering each one a nod. Then they began.

“With hearts so true and magic so light, we stand and face the fire so bright,” Parker began before Jill stepped in.

“We bring safety and love, and hope and light to the people of Addersfield on this sacred night.”

Now it was her turn.

“Protect this town and all who dwell here. Lay prosperity and blessings upon us for another year.”

“Grant us the wisdom to always do what's right,” Parker continued. “To keep us safe on dark, cold nights.”

“With open hearts, we call forth our magic tonight and trust that with love we cannot fall,” Olivia stated. “Because love will be what conquers all.”

When the last word was uttered, a rush of winds, both cold and warm, blew through the clearing. It was transformative, the feeling brushing over every part of Olivia. When she opened her eyes, she could see it—their magic—moving off to envelop the town and all of their family, friends and neighbors. She was lighter than air. Her magic burned bright in her veins.

“Whoa!” Parker said aloud, her smile growing as her eyes traced over the starry sky. “That was amazing. The best one we’ve done so far.”

“Hell yeah,” Jill agreed, squeezing Olivia's hand as their eyes met. “That was all you, Liv. We could all feel it.”

“I think it's safe to say we crushed it. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it happened the same year that Draven showed up,” Parker said, glancing over at Olivia.

She smiled. “You sound like Rosa.”

“Hey, I’ll definitely take that as a compliment. The woman’s never wrong.”

“I think you’re right, though,” Olivia said. “Since the day Draven showed up, things have felt different. At first, of course, I thought it couldn’t mean anything good. But it's been a month, and nothing terrible has happened and after learning about his mother, I feel like I understand him. I know what it feels like to want to know more about your family and I know what it’s like to not have a family. When I see him with Daniel, I think maybe we could be a family someday.”

“Aww,” Jill squealed. “Our little Olivia’s growing up.”

“Oh my God, Jill,” Parker said. “Do you always have to be so dramatic?”

“Please, you know you love me.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, what now?” Parker asked.

“Now we clean up and get some hot chocolate because I’m freaking freezing in this damn dress and Olivia goes home to her man,” Jill proclaimed.

“Are you sure?” Olivia asked, hoping they would say yes.

“Oh, we're sure,” Parker said, a stern look on her face. “Now, go on quick before we make you talk about your feelings and finding true love.”

She did not have to be told twice. After hugging her friends goodbye, she made her way through the tall grass, lantern in hand, finding the path that they had made on the way in. She followed it just to the edge of the festival grounds before turning to head down the adjacent street, eager to get home.

He was a complete idiot. From the minute he had walked into this town spouting his lies, he had made a fool of himself. The whole thing was beyond embarrassing, how he’d hid his truth from the very first moment, thinking he had the upper hand. His stomach soured. He really should have known better.

For Olivia to not tell him about the protection spell? He wasn’t angry, but he was frustrated. Did this mean there really was no trust between the two of them? Still?

But technically, she shouldn’t trust him. Especially considering what he was currently doing. A wave of fresh guilt pooled in his stomach. He really didn’t deserve her.

He told Olivia he was going to find Malcolm and maybe he should have done just that at the very least, to avoid raising any suspicion.

Instead, he followed her and her friends as they went off to perform their magic. He needed to see this spell for himself. Because this was the proof he was looking for—magic in action.

The three witches weaved through the tall grass, lanterns in hand, to a small grove of trees just on the other side of the town square, not far at all from tonight’s festivities. He walked as quietly as possible, staying several feet behind them at all times, to a spot where he could see all three women perfectly.

The friends chatted for a few minutes. Then they started pulling random things out of the bags they each carried. Components of the spell if he had to guess.

Pulling out his phone, he hit record just as they finished setting everything up. There was the book she had mentioned to him, so exposed. Did they never worry that someone might try to take it? Maybe he could. Maybe it would offer him some answers. Answers he did not dare seek out anywhere else lest he be asked too many questions.

His eyes flew to Olivia, riveted as she sliced into her palm and let her blood drip over everything. She quickly wrapped her hand and then stood straight and tall. They were ready.

It was fascinating and shocking all at once, seeing her magic flow through her, a look of pure joy on her face. She was breathtaking. But seeing her like this made him wonder if he could truly make her happy. Secret revenge plot notwithstanding, could she be with someone who had no magic of their own?

Was that why she told him what the protection spell did? Did she not think he could handle it? Did his mother ever think the same thing about his father? Is that what eventually drove a wedge between them? He knew it had something to do with her lack of magic. But had they been happy before that? His mother having magic and his father having none at all?

He looked up and the spell was taking effect, pulling him from the thoughts swirling in his head. Clutching his phone in a vice-like grip, he turned to watch the magic spread through the town, a white light seeping into everything around them and beyond. The warmth of it flowed all around him, like the sun on a hot summer day. Was it his mother’s blood that allowed him to sense it?

He turned back. Parker was touching the book now, saying something. A spell? Would that prevent him from taking the book?

The three of them were just talking now. He shut off his phone and tucked it away in his pocket. He needed to get home before Olivia did.

But then she said his name.

“Draven showed up; things have been different.”

He stepped closer, straining to hear more.

“After learning about his mother, I feel like I understand him.”

Her next words made his heartache. His breath caught in his chest. And time stood still.

“And when I see him with Daniel, I think maybe we could be a family someday.”

Dammit if he did not want that too, whether he deserved it or not. She had already welcomed him into her family in a big way, when she floated the idea of him joining her and Daniel for Wednesday night dinner a few days ago. He had been nervous, mainly because he guessed that Parker’s mother and grandmother knew things about what had happened with his own mother.

While it was tempting to ask them his burning questions, he did not want to give anyone any more reasons to be suspicious of him.

In the end, they had a delicious dinner and talked about normal things like the weather and what Daniel was up to at school. Malcolm extended an open invitation to get a drink sometime and Rosa insisted on sending him home with lots and lots of leftovers. It had been such a long time since he had had an evening like that, surrounded by people who truly cared about one another.

Maybe it was foolish. Maybe it was na?ve and maybe he couldn’t yet fully let go of his plan, his actions tonight were proof of that. But he wanted more of that. Each day with Olivia lessened his need for answers and revenge seemed less and less important. Right now, tonight, all he wanted was to be with her.