He nods. ‘Part of it, yeah.’ His eyes meet mine for a quick second and unspoken words float between us. I give him a soft smile, but I feel it wobble on my lips.
‘So, what do I need to do to start banishing that dreadful cousin of yours from existence? We’re doing banishing spells, right?’
Both our gazes shoot to Tilly, who has a mischievous glint in her eyes. I can’t help but laugh.
‘It’s funny that you think I wouldn’t have tried that already if it were possible.’ Xavier chuckles. ‘Not unless I want to use dark magic of course.’ It’s a passing comment, but the hairs on my arms rise beneath my sweater.
‘Dark magic?’ I question. That’s what the council claimed Lukas did. ‘I didn’t think you could do that with a crystal like this. Don’t you need – I don’t know – dark crystals?’
Xavier’s brows furrow. ‘If I’m honest, I don’t know enough about dark magic to give you a proper explanation. But crystals aren’t inherently evil orbad. Think of them more as the battery to the intention one person is feeding into it.’
I nod. ‘So, if we were to sit here and, like Tilly said, try to banish Moira – would it work?’
‘No.’ He shakes his head with another chuckle. ‘Dark magic is more complex than that. Plus, you’d need a very powerful crystal, or several, and you’d need to be inherently powerful yourself.’
‘I heard that for dark magic to work, you have to offer something of yourself first,’ Tilly adds, and it’s only now that I realise our heads have huddled together, edging closer as this forbidden topic is passed between us.
‘Like your soul?’ I ask as goosebumps pebble down my back.
‘Probably.’ Tilly shrugs. ‘I can’t imagine calling on dark magicwouldn’ttake a piece of someone’s soul.’
My brows dip together. Even just the thought of having to sacrifice something of yourself, be it a soul or blood, or whatever – I can’t imagine my brother going to such lengths.
Just then the sound of a branch snapping behind a cluster of trees has the three of us whirling around.
‘Who’s there?’ Xavier shouts. We all listen intently, but no one replies and because it’s dark, the shadows between the trees are thick and black.
‘Maybe it was a bird?’ Tilly offers softly after a long stretch of silence.
Maybe.
We turn back, facing each other as Xavier quickly changes the mood around by offering to show us how to charge our crystals. Not wanting to be stuck out here too late, I try to ignore the prickling sensation at the back of my neck.
He starts by instructing us to think of a clear intention for ourselves or for someone else. ‘Nothing too heavy. For example, Aria, you could use it to help banish a negative emotion or thought that you associate with being here.’
I nod, glancing down to the chunk of stone in my palm. I have a hundred of those negative thoughts and emotions. It’s just a matter of choosing one. I try to locate a feeling and latch onto it, but all I can focus on is my brother. I wonder where his soul is right now. If it’s still lingering here or if it’s moved on somewhere else. If he had one at allafter they burnt him, or if it was burn t along with his body, trapped within the flames.
The more I think about it, the more certain I become that I won’t be charging my stone with a banishing spell, but rather a protection one. To protect my brother’s soul, wherever it might be. I close my eyes and squeeze the stone between my palms, urging, pleading,feedingmy intention into it.
Protect his soul.
Protect his soul.
Please. Protect his soul.
SEVENTEEN
Mom has made her infamous vanilla and cherry layered cake for my birthday. We’re all sitting around the table. Dad is at the head, and for the first time ever he looks happy to see me. Lukas and I are on either side of the table, which leaves the empty chair at the other end for Mom. My cheeks heat with embarrassment as she walks in from the kitchen holding the cake. The candle in the middle of it flickers, casting orange shadows across her face.
‘Someone used all my candles, so there’s only one. Sorry, love,’ she tells me before shooting Lukas a pointed look.
‘I was testing a theory,’ he explains, sending me a wink.
Mom rolls her eyes but comes out to my side of the table and sets the cake in front of me. Her hands squeeze my shoulders affectionately. They’re being so nice today. I’m so lucky.
‘Happy sixteenth birthday, sweetheart,’ she whispers in my ear.
‘Make a wish,’ Dad tells me, reaching over to pat the top of my hand. I look down at it in bewilderment.
