“Here, here.” Hekate raises her glass to the moon then brings it to her lips.
“Here, here.” I smile, drinking the thick, sweet contents down in one gulp.
As she lowers the cup from her lips, I do the same. She slams the cup into the grass in front of her and her glowing barrier of power disappears. “Blessed be!” She yells, smiling up at the welcoming sun.
“Blessed be!” I echo, sitting the cup down beside me.
The sun is too bright. The clouds are too close, and the air is too thick. I yearn to be back within her dome of darkness. There, everything felt right. For the first time, so did I. At times it feels like oxygen does not exist. Like my lungs might collapse and my heart might die from lack of feeling. Today, with the Queen of Witches in front of me and the moon cutting through the darkness, I felt everything.
Hekate stands, and with a slight wave of her hand the candles and cups disappear. I stare up at her in awe as she braids her hair, her delicate fingers completing it so effortlessly. I cannot bring myself to stand just yet. I feel as though I’m one with my realm, but also one with each realm in existence. I would hate to break the connection. I’d hate it even more so to stand and break the connection I feel looking at her. Like a magnet she tempts me to come closer. If I am Earth, she is my gravity. If she is the moon then I am the darkness that will gladly fade into oblivion, becoming nothing more than a backdrop for her beauty to shine.
She crouches down, plucking two sad, shriveled-up flowers from the dirt, then motions for me to come closer. “Watch. Magic truly is the most wonderful, beautiful gift in the world.” As she opens her palms with the flowers inside, I watch as the brown stems slowly brighten to green. I gasp as the petals rise and return to life, their purple hues blossoming more vibrant and lively than the ones scattered on the ground.
Watching her breathe life into that which was dead does something within my heart that I cannot explain. My mind feels at ease. Suddenly, my future looks so bright.
I meet her eyes with my own, tears obscuring my vision. “That was beautiful,” I whisper. “You…are beautiful,” I sniffle, wiping away tears and forcing a smile.
“Your turn, Nyx.” She watches me patiently as I gaze at the beautiful flowers at our feet.
I pluck one flower and then another, pinching them gently between my fingers. She believes in me and somehow that seems like enough, though I have never used magic before. I close my eyes, feeling my power rise to the surface. I do not push it away and suppress it like times before. The familiar tingle of magic reaching my fingertips quickly ends as Hekate gasps and my eyes flutter open.
Quickly I stand, my hands covering my mouth, and my body spinning in small circles as I take in the damage. Gods, what have I done? I should not be trusted with this kind of power. I drop the shriveled-up stems on the ground, my breathing fast and uneven. Dead flowers smile up at me, their crumpled, hopeless bodies stripped of all life. Not only the ones in my hands—a circle of death replaces the ones which were thriving around us before. My power killed them all. I killed them.
“Nyx, it’s okay.” Hekate says, placing her hands on my shoulders. “One thing you must remember, is that you possess great darkness within you, a darkness I do not yet understand. You might only touch one thing, but that darkness can quickly spread like wildfire until you learn to control it. We must always be careful.”
“I… I did not even touch them. They should have been safe.” I back away from her, letting her hands fall from my shoulders to her sides, putting distance between us to keep her safe. “Please… stay back!” I lower my trembling hands from my mouth, eyes wide and full of terror.
I cannot let myself hurt her. I would never forgive myself for such an act. She is not safe with me, wherever I go only darkness will follow.
“I do not fear you, my dear Nyx.” Her laugh rings out around me, stunning me where I stand. “Your heart is more pure than any I have ever encountered. I am intrigued by you. You are magnificent.” Her words are barely a whisper. “Come,” she says, placing one reincarnated flower behind her ear and then carefully tucking the other one behind mine. “There is much more to show you.” A simple glance at the field of wildflowers by her, and they are once again blooming with life. “We are a team now, you and I, and your darkness simply needs to be tamed.” Leaning forward, she whispers softly, “Let me be the one to tame you.”
As she heads out of the meadow toward the thick, green forest, I brush my fingertips against the spot where her hand gracefully skimmed across my ear. I wish I could hold that touch within my heart and feel it endlessly. I have never met anyone as accepting or as gentle as her. My darkness fades. It curls up and hides, fearing what Hekate might be capable of.
She turns, glancing over her shoulder with an encouraging smile, and as she disappears beyond the trees, I pick up the bottom of my white robe, tuck my wings behind me tightly, and follow after her.
I will follow her anywhere.
Chapter Seven
The Stranger
NORA
The hospital staff observed me overnight to rule out a concussion, and although I truly believe there’s something wrong in my brain, I’m happy to be going home. The terror from the night before hasn’t worn off yet, the feeling of suddenly being hundreds of feet in the air soaring to sure and permanent death still scares the shit out of me. What terrifies me most is not remembering how I ended up falling to begin with. Did I jump? Did I fall? And why the hell can’t I remember? There’s definitely something wrong with my brain. It’s broken.
I’m broken.
Olivia and I sit side by side on the ferry as we make our way back to Mackinac Island, and I can’t pull my eyes away from the blue waves of Lake Michigan—the ripple and rise of them before they crash back to the surface. The waves have a way of hypnotizing me, but today they hypnotize me in a new way as flashbacks from the night before replay in my mind. I almost died. I should have died. Shutting my eyes tightly, I breathe in the fresh, soothing lake air. It brings a sense of peace straight to my soul. I enjoy living in such a small town, this tiny island surrounded by water and lush trees. I’ll never leave. My parents always said the same.
Olivia would much rather live in a big city, but she chose to stay here to be close to me. She doesn’t trust me to be alone, and honestly, I don’t blame her. I have a way of spiraling into dark places that lurk in the corners of my mind and struggling to find my way back. She has saved me from myself countless times while Ere has been there to numb the pain. Without either of them I’m not sure I’d still be here today.
“You okay, sis?” Olivia asks, looking me up and down and giving me a small smile when my eyes lock with hers.
I smile back as her dark hair whips around us in the breeze, taking in the scent of her citrus shampoo. She’s so happy and carefree. Even after our parents’ sudden deaths she found a way to smile through the pain and grieve quietly.
There was nothing quiet about my grieving.
The many suicide attempts and random men I hooked up with to try to mask the pain before meeting Ere are living proof. I never knew true darkness until I lost my parents. I’ve only been pretending to feel better.. After last night, I think it’s safe to say pretending isn’t working.
