“But you know about ghosts.”
I inhale, wishing Jac were here to take the reins. I’m not good at teaching, and I don’t know where to draw the line. Should I tell him I’m a witch? The vague half-answers are frustrating, I’m sure, and I can’t teach the kid if I’m constantly lying to him.
What if he does have powers, like Gemma? She obviously didn’t come from a magical family, and I don’t think everyone has to in order to harness the powers of magic. Swallowing hard, I push my shoulders back and look Jared in the eye.
“I’m a witch.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “A witch.”
“Yes. A witch.”
“I…I don’t know what that means,” he admits. “Like you believe in Wicca or whatever?”
“No. I don’t really believe in anything, to be honest.” I hold up my hand and feel my fingertips heat with magic. “It means I have powers.” I rub my fingers together and a tiny flame ignites. I let it burn bright in front of him for a few seconds before closing my fingers.
Jared’s jaw falls open and he stares at me for several seconds. “What…wait…what?” he stutters.
“That’s why I know about ghosts. That’s why I told you there are some things you’re better off not knowing. Now you know the truth—the whole truth—and you’ve got to trust me.”
He blinks and nods, but I don’t think he’s fully comprehending what I’m saying.
“A witch?” he echoes, voice small.
“Yes. I’m a witch.” Gemma comes down the back staircase holding a basket of dirty laundry. “She is too.”
“I am,” Gemma agrees. “Wait, what am I?”
“A witch,” I say.
“Are we telling him?” she asks, setting the basket of laundry down.
“I already did.” I push off the counter to get something to drink. The sun is out in full force today, and while we have AC units placed around the house, it’s still hot in here during the day.
“Did you tell him we have to kill him now?” Gemma steps into the kitchen and Jared’s eyes go wide. “I’m kidding!”
“Oh, right.” Jared fakes a laugh. “So you’re both really real…real…witches.”
“Yes.” Gemma motions to me. “Ace has cooler powers, though. She saved my life. Twice now.”
I shrug. “It’s all in a day’s work.”
Jared’s phone buzzes in his pocket and he shakes himself and reaches for it. “It’s my dad,” he mumbles, and silences the call.
“Does he know you’re here?”
Jared shakes his head. “I stopped by on my way home from a friend’s house.”
“Call him back,” I press. “He’s still shaken from you getting lost in the woods.”
“It sounds so lame when you say it like that.”
“I know,” I agree. “But we can’t go around telling people you got kidnapped by a ghost, now can we?”
He blinks a few times before he nods. “Are you really a cop?” He gasps. “Do you actually work for a supernatural FBI or something?”
“Yes, I’m a cop, and no. As far as I know, there is no supernatural police force. I work for the Philadelphia Police Department, and my job is to prove murders with ties to the occult aren’t actually committed by the occult.”
Jared gives me a blank stare, trying to process everything. His phone rings again and I point to it.
