I knew that wasn’t what they meant, but part of me hoped…
“I mean we are witches. We’re descended from the ancient bloodlines who used their powers to help the early Britons win the first wars against the fae and banish them to their realm.”
I held up my hands. “Come on now. This is getting crazy. Fae, magic, witches… I know you Brits like to poke fun of the stupid Americans, ha ha ha. But if you thought I was going to believe this stuff, then you definitely?—”
I gasped back my words as Arthur extended his hand in front of me, palm facing up. A flame burst from his fingers, the orange light casting a strange glow across his skin.
I peered under his hand. Nothing underneath. I grabbed his wrist and felt around his lower arm – there was no wire or ignition or anything hidden against his skin. My fingers brushed over the scars near his elbow, and he shuddered a little. I yelped as the flame leapt up, nearly touching the beam above our heads as a flare of heat crashed against my body.
“Arthur!” Corbin yelled.
“Sorry!” Arthur narrowed his eyes. The flame calmed down a little.
I sucked in a breath. “Okay, I give up. How are you doing that?”
“This is my power,” Arthur said. “All witches can control one of the five elements. My element is fire. I can conjure fire at will, and manipulate it.”
He cupped his other hand, and passed the flame between them.
“Okay, well now I know this is ridiculous because there are only four elements.”
“In science, maybe. Alchemists have recognized a fifth element for centuries – the element of spirit,” Corbin explained.
“Alchemy is a load of nonsense.”
“Only 80% of it is, but that’s not so important now. What’s important is that you believe what we’re telling you about the fae and about our ability to protect you.”
“I don’t have to believe anything.” I folded my arms. “What you’re telling me isinsane.”
“If this isn’t true, if we aren’t what I say we are, then what other explanation could possibly explain what you saw tonight?” Corbin nodded at Arthur’s hand. “Or what Arthur’s doing right now?”
“Or this.” Flynn held his own hand over Arthur’s, his palm pointing down. A trickle of water ran between his fingers, quickly turning into a spout. With a sizzle, Arthur’s flame went out.
“Flynn’s element is water,” Arthur explained. “Because he’s such a wet blanket.”
“A soggy biscuit,” Corbin adds.
“You’re both hilarious,” Flynn shot back. “A couple of pure deadly comedians. Maeve, don’t let these bastards do the eulogy at my funeral.”
“My element is air,” Corbin explained, ignoring Flynn. “And Rowan is earth.”
Earth.
I faced Rowan, remembering how he’d pressed that clump of soil into that guy’s face, how he’d chanted something under his breath – a language I didn’t recognize. How the guy had recoiled as though the dirt caused him great pain, and how I’d feltsomethingwhen I pressed the twig in my hand against Rowan…
My head throbbed. I rubbed my temples. So many questions, but one burned in the front of my head, one that wasvitally important even though their story so far was completely ridiculous.
“So, okay. Sure, you’re witches. I thought witches were only old ladies with hooked noses or teen girls who dressed like goths, but whatever. That fae guy, why did he know my name? And if he comes from this fae realm, why was he in Arizona on the night my parents died?”
Flynn kicked Corbin’s shin, and Corbin cleared his throat again. But before he could say anything, Arthur patted my knee and said. “His name is Kalen, and we’ve encountered him before. Unfortunately, although we killed his other friends tonight, he lives to hassle us another day. Kalen was in Arizona because he followed Corbin there on his visit.”
My body sagged with relief.He isn’t stalking me. This is all just a big coincidence, and there’s a logical explanation?—
But Arthur was still talking. “—because Corbin is the leader of our coven – that’s the word for witches who work together in a collective?—”
Okay, not such a relief.
“I watchedThe Craft. I know what a coven is.” Any film or book featuring witches was sacrilegious in our house, so of course we loved them. One summer, our parents went away on a ten day Bible retreat and Kelly and I had binge-watched every Satanic show and movie we could find on Netflix. We spent most of that film admiring the 90s fashion.
