7. Seven Corbin

CHAPTER SEVEN

SEVEN: CORBIN

A t least I got my library back.

I'd come running as soon as I heard Maeve and Kelly screaming at each other. Kelly pushed past me on the way down the hall and disappeared into Jane's room. Maeve collapsed into my arms, but left a few minutes later, as if all she needed was a moment with me to steady herself before she went off to tackle her next foe. Aline followed behind her, and I'd got to work hunting for information on belief magic.

The grimoire of the Georgian-era Briarwood coven contained some references to belief, so that was the first book I pulled out to study. The author of this text was the magister at the time, and he also happened to be the Bishop of the local Anglican diocese. He believed the magic the coven wielded and the power of the Holy Spirit were one and the same thing.

We speak of the powers of good and evil, of angels and demons. Godly men believe that the Lord's grace channels through them – they have no choice but to perform His will. Because witches wield magic of their own will and volition, they are believed corrupted by demons. They are in violation of Scripture, for all miracles must come from God. In truth, there is only one kind of magic – the power of belief. Can not we ? —

Noises outside pulled me from the text. I leaned back in my wingback chair, staring out the window at the gardens below. Flynn's workshop door was open, and judging by the bangs, crashes, and curses coming from within, he was working on some new project. Maeve headed out the kitchen door and stopped to speak to Rowan, before heading along the path toward Flynn's workshop. Aline and Rowan moved between the vegetable and herb gardens in the walled courtyard behind the kitchen, talking and laughing with each other as they filled up wooden trugs with produce and sprigs. Rowan raised his gaze to the library window. I almost leapt back, feeling guilty for looking, but then I remembered that we were a thing now. I waved at him. His whole face broke into a smile.

Fuck, he has a gorgeous smile.

Rowan and me – I didn't know what to make of it. I'd never considered that I might want to be involved with a guy. Of course, there was the group thing we all had with Maeve, but that was all about her – pleasing her, worshipping her, loving her the way she deserved to be loved.

Maeve's presence at Briarwood had thrown so much into chaos. From that chaos had risen this uncertainty about everything . This battle with the fae could go to a dark place. We could all die any day now. The future was a big black hole. Every time I looked into the black hole and tried to figure out what would happen, I got scared.

I don't do uncertainty.

There were only two things that made that fear seem worthwhile.

There was Maeve, and there was Rowan.

Rowan deserved happiness and love and a future. Of all of us, he'd had the worst start in life. From the moment I found him in that shitty squat, I'd wanted to give him everything. If that meant my heart too, than I was glad to do it.

Rowan turned back to the garden, and I went to return to my book, but something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. A figure in a bright blue dress walked quickly across the grass. Maeve? I'd seen her head out toward Flynn's workshops a few minutes ago. The figure was heading the wrong way.

Kelly.

Maeve still hadn't explained everything, and I guessed from Kelly's yelling before that she'd been hiding in the library while we spoke to Aline. I wondered why she was still here – if I'd been Kelly I would've left for Jane's house, but then I remembered how Dora had threatened Jane at her cottage. With the villagers on the warpath, Jane probably didn't want to go back there with Connor. At least here, they had Briarwood to protect them.

Sighing, I turned away and pulled our own grimoire across the desk, spreading it open on top of the other book and flicking to the page about pouring magic into objects. I'd always interpreted the spell as using magic to manipulate objects, which was not something we'd ever needed to do. But now that Maeve and Flynn had figured out the truth, I could see how I needed to rethink my translation.

I picked up my pen to start work on the text, but all I could think about was Maeve's sister running across the lawn. Maeve wasn't the best at dealing with Kelly's religious beliefs. Maybe it someone a bit less scientific should speak to Kelly first.

I dropped my pen and raced downstairs via the secret staircase. I went out the kitchen door, waving to Rowan as I cut across the kitchen garden. I followed Kelly's path down toward the rear of the property. The gate to the orchard was slightly ajar. I swung it open, scanning the trees for any sign of Kelly.

"Hey, Kelly, it's Corbin. Are you in here?"

No answer except the twittering of birds in the trees.

My heart pounded against my chest. I didn't like going in the orchard. This was where I'd found Keegan hanging from a bent old oak on the lower boundary, just beyond the gate where the orchard met the woods. Dad cut the oak down before they left Briarwood, but the ghost of that tree still loomed over the orchard.

An image flashed in front of my eyes – a figure hanging from a gnarled branch, her face all blotchy, her eyes glass. Blonde hair trailing over the rope. Kelly following where Keegan had led.

I shook the image away as I ducked down the next row, calling Kelly's name. You're just scaring yourself. Surely Kelly wouldn't…

But she'd attempted suicide only a week ago. There were no coincidences in magic, and Briarwood was the most magical place there was. I picked up my pace, crossing into the next row and peering between the towering plum and citrus trees.

"Kelly!"

"Over here."

The voice was so faint I wasn't sure I'd heard it or it was just my imagination. But at least it was a voice. I jogged down the next row of apple trees. Kelly came into view, starfished on the ground in front of an enormous plum tree, her mouth stained red from the fruit. A trail of pips led across the grass. She pulled herself up and rubbed her eyes.

"Hey," I slid in beside her. "What you doing out here?"

"It's pretty," Kelly said. She pulled a wide-brimmed yellow hat lower across her face, and sighed.

I waited. I knew that if you waited long enough, usually a person would start talking. That's how I always smoked Rowan out.

It didn't take Kelly long. One thing I knew about her was that she loved to talk. "Maeve hates me."

I wanted to say she didn't, but Maeve had said those exact words to me, and I wasn't going to lie. "You may not realise it now, but her hating you is actually a good thing."

"How could it possibly be a good thing?" Kelly sniffed.

"Hate is just the other side of love. If Maeve didn't love you, she'd be indifferent. Instead, everything you said cut her deep because it came from you. And so she said some things that cut you, because they came from her."

"Gee, you're soooo good at this cheering up thing." Kelly stared at the sky – a brilliant blue cloudless day, one of those rare English Summer days that we should've been spending at the beach or on the footy field, not solving existential crises in the middle of a pile of ripened plums. "I guess I messed up real bad, huh?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed."

"I never should have said what I said. But she was lying to me again. I wanted her to see that she could trust me with her secrets. That's why I snuck into the library when I heard you all moving around this morning. I just wanted her to see that I could deal with all the witchcraft stuff."

"So you know everything now."

She laughed. "I already knew, Corbin. I saw that cult ritual thing you guys were all involved in at Avebury. And there's the little fact that last night you carried in a woman who looked an awful lot like Maeve, which makes no sense since Maeve's an orphan with no family."

"She does have family. She has you."

"It's not the same to her," Kelly sniffed again. "Maeve never belonged with us. She never tried to belong."

"You can't force a person to believe in something. Better for her to be the way she is than for her to pretend to be a Christian when in her heart she doesn't believe."

"She took everything for granted that our parents gave her." Kelly picked up a plum and tossed it hard, so it splattered open against the grass. "And they just kept on giving and giving and giving. She got everything, and because I was the real child and the good Christian, I got nothing."

Right then. We'd hit on the crux of the issue – good old fashioned sibling rivalry. To Maeve, Kelly would always be the treasured one because she shared something with her parents Maeve never could – their blood, and their faith. But to Kelly, Maeve was the special one because she was the miracle baby with the super smarts. She was the one who was going to escape their small town and have an amazing life. And now, she was the one with the magical powers and the castle in her name, and the parent who'd come back from the dead.

I understood. Bloody hell how I understood. Keegan got all my parents' attention, between the doctors and the specialists and one fancy tutors. And then, when he died, all his sins were forgotten. He became the perfect son because he was the one who lost his chance to redeem himself. It was just this belief thing again – They believed he'd turn into the perfect son, and so he became the perfect son. I missed Keegan, and I loved him, and I hated him all at once.

I thought about saying all that, but this wasn't about me. It was about Kelly.

"You're eighteen soon," I tried, instead. "You're practically adult. You don't have to define yourself by your parents' standards, or Maeve's standards. You get to decide what you believe and how you want your life to turn out. I think you know that already – that's why you came here with the world's most insane rucksack."

Kelly laughed.

"I know what the Bible says about witchcraft. Revelations was pretty specific with the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all people who talk at the cinema will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. But I figured if you're still here after everything you heard today, you're choosing to make a more liberal interpretation."

Kelly tossed another plum. "I'm freaked out. I mean, witches . The bible is full of people like Saul who died because he consulted mediums instead of trusting the Lord. Messing with the occult is a bad idea. Demons are real, you know."

"Oh, I know." I picked up a plum and tossed it, loving the satisfying splat as it exploded across the grass. "I'm a witch, too."

"But you're a guy."

"Magic isn't a gendered trait. All of us at Briarwood are witches. Does that make you feel any different about us?"

Kelly's eyes widened. "Even Arthur?"

I nodded. "He's a fire witch. You should see him toast marshmallows."

Kelly snorted.

"What are you thinking right now?"

She didn't look at me. "I'm thinking that this is scary as hell. I'm thinking that God has sent me here to test me. I just wish I knew what the test was. I'm thinking that if Arthur's a fire witch, then he might have had something to do with my Uncle's house burning down. And I guess I'm thinking…that Maeve's my sister, and I'm supposed to love her no matter what, even if she is cavorting with the devil."

"You're an amazing woman, Kelly Crawford." I patted her shoulder. She looked up at me then, and her lopsided smile told me she still wasn't sure. "I think if your parents were alive, they'd say exactly the same thing. Maeve says they fought about religion a lot, but they always supported her. She's not perfect. She should have given you more credit and she should've respected your beliefs more. But she's Maeve and she doesn't think like that." I laughed. "You should've seen how skeptical she was when she first saw us wield magic and we told her what she was. I think it would be easier to convince her the earth was flat."

"That's saying something. You should hear her rant about flat earthers." Kelly laughed. "You love her, don't you?"

Her question came as a shock. I knew what Maeve would want me to say. But as Kelly's eyes bore into mine I knew that she'd see through the lie anyway. I sighed. "I love her very much."

"But she's with Arthur, and he's your friend."

I nodded. Both of those statements were technically true. "Love doesn't always obey the rules. That's why so many people believe the rules are bullshit."

"Flynn said something weird to me once, back in London at that tower." Kelly chewed on her lower lip. "He was making up these silly history facts, and he said the monarchy of England practiced polyamory. He was asking me all about it, as if he really cared about my answer."

My pulse sped up. "Don't pay any attention to Flynn. He loves stirring up shite."

"I said that being with more than one person was an abhorrence against God."

"Do you believe that?"

She laughed. "My parents are dead. My science nerd sister is practicing satanic witchcraft, and her mother's come back from the dead. I don't know what I believe anymore."

"It's okay to not know. It doesn't make you a bad Christian, or a bad person."

Kelly glanced up at the tower. "Seeing Maeve here with all of you guys…she belongs here. I know that, even though all this witchcraft stuff is scary and I don't understand what's going on. I don't want to deprive her of it. I guess I just wish she felt she belonged with me."

"I'm sure she does."

Kelly shook her head. "I always tried to include her. I invited her to hang out with my friends, even though no one liked her. She'd come to parties with me and then hide in the corner with a book. I'd drag her to Bible Study class so she'd have something to do, but she'd just get into arguments with the Pastor about evolution."

I laughed. "I can imagine."

"She was always going to leave." Kelly stared down at the plum she clasped in her hands. "Ever since I could remember she's been talking about MIT and what her life would be like when she finally escaped Coopersville. It's hard being a sister to someone like her, knowing she'd choose the stars over you."

Kelly squeezed her fingers. Plum juice dribbled between them, staining the front of her dress. I thought about our recent visit to Oxford, how Maeve's eyes had lit up as she'd explored those learned halls. How at home she'd looked there, because a fancy university like that was her destiny. I understood what Kelly meant, and after talking to her I thought I understood something about Kelly that might never have occurred to Maeve before?—

"What are you two doing out here?"

I jumped. Maeve stood at the end of the row, her hands folded over her dress – a summery one Flynn had brought her in Avebury, covered with a pattern of twisting vines. It looked like an old woodcut, and I half expected to see the faces of fae peeking out from between the vines.

"Talking," Kelly snarled, her voice instantly turning hostile. "Or am I not allowed to talk to anyone else now?"

Maeve sighed. "I didn't say that. I came to find you, because I wanted to explain all the things you heard this morning. There's stuff you need to know so you can stay safe…unless Corbin's already answered all your questions."

Her gaze flicked to mine. I could see she'd been crying. I wanted to run to her and wrap her in my arms, but I knew it was more important she and Kelly talk and figure this out. I shook my head.

"Unlike everyone else around here, I can actually have a conversation with someone that doesn't revolve around you," Kelly shot back. "What do you want , Maeve?"

"I thought we could talk, like we used to…" Maeve trailed off.

"That's rich. You've barely talked to me since I got to England, but now that I know your secret you want to pretend to be the perfect big sister. Fuck off."

Maeve winced at Kelly's words. In all the time she'd been with us in England, I'd never once heard Kelly swear. The words sounded strange on her lips, like she wasn't sure how to form the syllables. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You weren't talking to me, either, if you recall."

No Maeve, no no. That's not how you make things better.

Kelly stood. "I'll be gone soon, so you won't have to worry about keeping up the lies."

"Kelly," Maeve stepped forward. "Don't do this. There's fae out there who are preparing something truly evil. They might come after Jane because of Connor. They might come after you because you're my sister. You'll be safer if you're here and we can protect you?—"

Kelly bent her arm back, her face twisting into an ugly snarl. Before I realised what she was doing, she'd hurled the plum at Maeve. "I don't want to be protected by you. God will protect me from demons and magic. Go back to your witchcraft and your sinful adulterous relationships. There's no place for me here anymore. As soon as Connor wakes up, I'm leaving with Jane."

"Kelly—" Maeve rushed forward, plum juice dribbling down her cheek. But Kelly had already disappeared between the trees.

I opened my arms. Maeve dropped to her knees and toppled into them. Sticky plum juice trickled down her cheek, mingling with her tears so it had this weird sweet and salty taste by the time it rolled over my lips.

I rubbed circles on her back. "It's gonna be okay," I whispered.

She nuzzled into my neck, the tears drying on her cheeks. I could practically feel the wheels in her head turning, wondering what I might've said to Kelly, if I'd told her something that made things worse. My suspicions were confirmed when she sat back, her eyes focused and a little bit pissed. "What did she say to you?"

"We were just talking, Maeve."

"About me."

I gave her a nervous smile, and held out a plum to her. "No, about the plum harvest."

"You heard what she said to me. She hates me." Maeve waved a hand, rejecting my fruity offering. It made sense, given the sticky red juice now drying on her chin. "I don't want to talk about her anymore."

"Okay." I grinned, waiting.

Maeve lasted a full three-and-a-half seconds before she blurted out, "What did she say about me?"

Maeve and Kelly, not that much different.

This time, I wasn't playing the game. Maeve needed to see what was going on with Kelly, and I thought I might know a way to get her there. "What do you think's going to happen after we stop the fae?" I asked.

"Don't change the subject."

"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about her anymore?"

Maeve gave an exasperated sigh. "Corbin, just tell me what she said about me."

"Answer the question and I'll explain."

She shrugged. "I don't know about the future. I've been busy trying to stop everything falling apart to think about it. I guess we'll carry on with our lives here."

"So we're going to stay at Briarwood and do what?"

"I don't know! Read books, eat scones, drink tea, watch Arthur beat Flynn to a pulp."

I smiled at that. Arthur beating Flynn was definitely a thing that would happen. "So you don't still have your acceptance letter for MIT sitting on your desk upstairs?"

She looked away. "I'm not thinking about that now."

"Really? Because it feels like something we should think about." I touched my finger to her chin, pushing lightly to turn her back to face me. Her hazel eyes swam with liquid sadness. "They won't keep that position open for you forever. It's your dream, Maeve. You have to go."

"And what about Oxford?" she shot back. "I saw the way you looked when we were there, how much you loved the history of the place and debating all those esoteric facts with your dad. You know you could get in, easily. You're wasting your talents re-reading all the books in the Briarwood library."

My face grew hot. Bloody hell, why'd she have to bring that up? "Oxford's not in my future. I can't leave Briarwood, Maeve. I can't ever do that. I made a mistake many years ago, and that mistake binds me to this castle. As long as these walls still stand, I have to be here – a last defence against the fae. The castle needs me, and Flynn and Arthur and Blake and Rowan need me… especially Rowan. I won't abandon my post the way my parents did. But you… you're different. You're going to space . You're going to have a amazing life."

Maeve's mouth set in a line, her eyes flashing with determination. "Not without you, I'm not. We're bound together, the six of us. Briarwood is my home now, and you guys are my family. I'm not running off as soon as the immediate threat is gone."

"That's not what I want," I sighed. "I love you, Maeve. I don't want you to be stuck here just because I'm stuck here."

"You're not stuck here, but I don't know how to make you see that. If you don't leave, then I can't leave." Fresh tears sprung in her eyes. "I'm the High Priestess. I'm responsible."

Was she crying because she was sad for me, or crying because she'd just realised what her oath meant she would give up?

I shook my head. "You can be the High Priestess and an astronaut. I mean, it's never been done before, but I bet we can make it work. You've been waiting for MIT your whole life. I don't want to trap you here beside me. Kelly doesn't want that either, even though it might not seem like it."

"Corbin, where's this come from? What's MIT got to do with Kelly?"

"Come on, Maeve. You know ."

She threw up her hands. "I don't know."

"Kelly is jealous of you."

Maeve narrowed her eyes. "She's not."

"She is."

Her laugh raked bitterly against her lips. "Not likely. Kelly's the bubbly, popular, social one. She's the pretty one who always says the right thing. There's no way she'd be jealous of nerdy, dorky, friendless me."

"High school doesn't last forever. All her life Kelly's been counting down the years and months and days until that MIT letter came in the mail, until you got your ticket out of Coopersville. All this time she's been listening to how you couldn't wait to leave so you could start your life for real."

"Yeah. So?"

"So, did you ever think that maybe she felt like she was living in the shadow of your future? That your life with her was just your way of passing time until your real life began? What were Kelly's plans for post-high school before your parents died? Did she even plan to leave Coopersville?"

"She…" Maeve looked uncertain. "Of course she could leave. She can do anything she wants. She did leave!"

"Did she really? Or did she just come here to live in your shadow again?"

Maeve's lips pursed. "You're saying all this is my fault. Kelly can go around saying horrible things about me and that's fine because she's jealous of me since apparently my life has been sunshine and rainbows and not a fucking disaster where everyone I love dies or just randomly turns up inside paintings!"

"I'm saying that Kelly feels as though she's been living in your shadow, and as long as she's here at Briarwood, she's going to feel that way. And you keeping secrets from her – however well-intentioned – isn't helping."

Maeve stood up, shoving my hands off her. "I'm trying to keep her safe. I took her on a trip all around England. Hell, I extorted money off her uncle and burned his house down just so she could have a new life. Everything I've done has been for her. Well, I'm not doing it any more. I'm done with her. I know you want to solve everyone's problems and make us kiss and make up, Corbin, but this is one fight that you should stay way the hell away from."

"Maeve, that's not what I'm saying at all?—"

Too late. She'd stormed off, taking my heart with her.