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X

“ C an we ask your dad? He has connections all over, doesn’t he? How can I go to a magic meeting if I can’t fucking see the building!?”

What a goddam mess.

“What’s going on?”

Charles arrives with a smile and settles on the sofa next to Dave.

“There’s a magic shop in town, and my ex-coven has cast a cloaking spell on it. I’m positive it’s their doing. Dave can see the shop, but I can’t.” I pass him the flyer. “We found this today, and I’d never heard of the place. When we got to the address, Dave described something completely different as we stood outside, both of us looking at the same thing!”

Charles frowns. “Do you think whatever is inside could help your skills or break the curse?”

“Maybe? I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to meet people who like magic, right? I could at least talk about it without feeling like a freak because magic is real. Why else would they hide it from me? There’s something inside that can help. I’m sure of it. ”

If there wasn’t, why hide it from me? It’s the only thing that makes sense. But I don’t have the power to break a cloaking spell, and if I can’t break the spell, I can’t go inside the shop.

“What do you think, babe? Can your dad help? He must know a guy who knows a guy or something?”

Charles, bless his heart, bats those eyelashes at Dave.

“I’ve already asked if he can check it out and get back to me. He said to give him a day.” He hesitates, and his gaze flicks to me.

“What, Dave? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Well, you asked me to be your antennae, and while we were outside that place, I had a quick flash. It might be related to your guy, or it might not.”

“What did you see?! Don’t leave me waiting!”

“A man’s hand and maybe the letter U…it was some kind of symbol, I think.” His face falls when I don’t register any reaction. “I’m sorry I’m not much help, but it was strong, and it came from inside the building.”

“The building X can’t see?” Charles watches me closely, and I nod.

“I really hope Faustus can help.” Slumping on the sofa, I lean forward with my head in my hands. “I don’t know why exactly or what it is, but this feels like I’ve stumbled into something big.” Charles changes seats to sit next to me and reaches for my hand.

“Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

Dave’s curious gaze catches mine, and the compassion that made him a horrible demon for his world shines through.

“There’s so much you both don’t know. I’ve told you how my coven threw me out because I didn’t want to practice their black magic. Much like you, Dave, I didn’t want to cast those kinds of spells. I often stepped in when I shouldn’t, and it got me in trouble.”

Dave nods. He understands exactly what I mean, and I wonder why I never unloaded all this to him before. Of all beings, he knows what it’s like not to belong.

“I’m cursed for a few reasons. The virginity thing was just my brother being extra cruel.”

Horace. He hated me.

Not just because I was in love with a witch from our rival coven, but because I convinced him to run away with me. Clarence was his name. We had plans. Until it was all ripped away.

“There’s a coming-of-age ceremony we do. When a witch turns twenty-one, you gather in front of the entire coven and state your intentions. It’s all just a show because you’ve decided your role and have been practicing for years at this point. But that’s what we did.”

I hated it then, and I hate thinking about it now.

“Anyway, we all wore big fancy robes and met on the hallowed ground for a ceremony. The high priest would bestow a spell on you to raise your powers to the next level. That was the only useful part of the ceremony.”

That day will forever be seared into my brain. I miss Clarence every day; I wish I could go back in time to push him away. He was such a light to the dark world we were in. Two kindred spirits finding comfort in a place we felt we didn’t belong.

“X?” Charles’s hand wipes at the tears on my face, and I let him.

“My best friend, Clarence, died that day.” Charles squeezes closer and waits for me to continue. Dave hovers, but he listens with a tight jaw. “Me and Clarence had a plan. We were going to get the blessing and then announce we were leaving. Neither of us liked black magic.” My voice cracks. “He was so kind and beautiful.” Gulping in air, I stare at a patch of floor away from the sympathetic face of Charles. “I never got to tell him I was in love with him. I think he knew, though.”

“Oh, X.”

Charles squeezes my hand and hands me a tissue. Dave swears softly under his breath.

“They knew. Both our covens already knew our plans. My brother found out and snitched on us.” My lips twist in a pained smile. “He’s why I’m so good at all the healing spells. He liked to practice his dark magic on me. Sometimes he just used his hands, but he knew my weakness was Clarence. I took it all so my brother wouldn’t hurt him.”

A low growl sounds from Dave, and he stalks from the room. Charles watches after him for a moment before turning to me.

“Thank you for sharing that, X. You know we both care about you and want to help. Is your brother responsible for the entire curse, then?”

Shaking my head, I wipe the tears from my cheeks.

“My father set it in motion. He was the coven leader. At the ceremony, he threw us out with the wish that we both never find peace or happiness because of our betrayal. I was to spend the rest of my life alone and in unrest because I brought shame to the coven. We were the example for anyone else.”

My father transported us to the forest that bordered the portal to the afterlife. It was a violent spell, like being caught in a tornado. We clung to each other, and with every blow to my body as we flew to our destination, something cracked or broke. Clarence took the worst of it, even though I tried to wrap myself around him for protection.

With a shaky sigh, I remember holding Clarence after the force of the spell dissipated and finally allowed me to take in our surroundings. He was a limp rag in my arms, the colour fading from his skin even as I tried to breathe life into him with my broken fingers and muttered words. All the skills I had were gone. There was nothing I could do for him except hold him close and hope death came for me, too. But my brother appeared and wanted me to suffer more.

“When I finally came to my senses in the forest at the edge of the afterlife, my brother was there. He saw me with Clarence while I was a sobbing mess, holding him and trying to use my healing spells to bring him back.” A sob escapes as I remember with vivid clarity how it didn’t work. “He…he laughed and then cursed me to remain loveless and a virgin forever. Because I should love the magic before anyone or anything. It was my lesson, he said. My punishment for being soft.”

“Can I give you a hug?”

Charles’s tear-stained face breaks my heart, and I open my arms with a nod.

I clutch at him like the lifeline he’s become. If only hugs could take all the heartache away.

“Listen, I’m tired, and I’m going to attempt to sleep for a bit. Thank you for listening.”

“Anytime, X. We’re here for you.”

With heavy feet, I walk to my room and close the door softly behind me. After stripping out of today’s clothes, I collapse on the bed. This is the part I hate. The bone-dead tiredness seeps from my pores, and yet…sleep takes forever to come. When it finally does, it’s plagued with the memories of that night. Over and over, I have to relive the loss of my closest friend and the only man I ever loved. Then I get to wake up and remember that I’ll never have that feeling again because of the curse.

A stupid curse because my brother hates me that much.

This magic club and Beautiful Belladonna are the first glimmers of hope I’ve seen since I’ve been here.

I’ll grab onto it with both hands and hope Dave and his dad can help.

Before dozing off, my thigh flares with a burn that has my hands flying to the spot where my witch’s mark sits. Another strike to my magic abilities. An incomplete witch’s mark is an incomplete witch. Incompetent magic.

But tonight, it pulses on my skin, like a heartbeat, and as I watch, the mark blazes brightly. Half of an upside-down U is how I’d describe it. Most days it sits like a forgotten birthmark. Of course, today, when I feel sleep on the horizon, it has to flare and remind me I’m alone. That I’m a shitty witch, and not even my witch’s mark is complete.

With a sigh, I lean back and stare at the ceiling and hope tomorrow will bring good news.