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16

CALLIE

My cheek is stuck to my hardwood floor. I learned years ago to put my bed on risers. When my cat is scared, she likes to sleep under the bed, and waking up under a bed that's very close to the ground isn't a great experience.

Another thing I learned years ago was to keep the underside of my furniture swept clean. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to do it in a week or two. I blow a dust bunny away and sigh.

A set of boots walks into the room and up to the bed. "Hey, pretty lady." James drops to his knees beside the bed. "Back to normal?"

I nod, rubbing my ear against the floor. He holds his hand out for me to grab. I take the offered help, and he pulls me out from under the bed so I can climb to my feet. A gentleman through and through, he reaches over with his eyes averted and picks up my robe from the foot of the bed. I know I left it hanging on the back of the bathroom door, so he was thinking of me when he placed it there. How sweet.

"Thank you." I brush myself off and put the robe on. "Okay. I'm covered."

James's eyes flicker to my chest, where my nipples protrude from under the thin robe. To his credit, his cheeks redden, and he quickly jerks his gaze up again. "You may want to get dressed." He walks to the door and clears his throat. "We called in reinforcements for the spell, and they're all here now. Your cat turning back is actually perfect timing. I was coming up to see if you were you yet."

"How long was I out?" I'm almost afraid to ask.

“About four hours. It gave everyone enough time to gather." He shuts the door behind him.

I should hurry, I know, but I plop down on the bed instead. We're going to try to unlock my power again, and I'm no longer sure it's the right thing to do. If I stay human, will that keep everyone safer? Well, human and cat.

Oh. My cat. Will unlocking my power somehow destroy her? I'm not sure I want that as much as I’ve complained about her. She's part of me, like an irritating parent I wouldn’t trade for the world. She's somehow me and my pet at the same time, which is so odd, but it is what it is.

Can I do this if it means losing her? My heart races at the thought.

These questions burn in my mind as I dress in yoga pants and a long tee. I pull on thick socks and walk out of my bedroom. I hear lots of talking and laughter downstairs, but joining them feels like an insurmountable task. As eager as I am, my anxiety rears its ugly head.

As if I call him, Hank's face appears at the bottom of the stairs. "You okay?" he says.

I nod my head, and the sight of his supportive, handsome face is all I need to put one foot in front of the other and go down to him. "Overwhelmed," I whisper as I reach the bottom, and he envelops me in his arms.

"That's understandable." He kisses the top of my head. "This is a lot to take in. Once we unlock your powers, we may have to help you control them, depending on their strength. You haven't spent your life learning to master them, so you'll have to learn fast and need help."

"There's something I'm worried about," I whisper. Looking up into his eyes, I let the concern show in mine.

"What?" He rubs his hands up and down my arms. "Whatever it is, I'll do my best to fix it."

I look over his shoulder and see my living room crammed full of people. "There's nothing we can do, and I doubt anyone knows the answer."

He tweaks my chin with the tip of his finger. "Tell me."

I take a deep breath, then let the words come tumbling out. "Now that I'm faced with it, I'm not sure I want to lose my cat. Yeah, I hate shifting at random, but—and don’t tell her this—I love her.”

Hank looks uncertain. He doesn’t have the answers either.

Fran comes around the corner of the living room. “Everything okay?”

Hank glances at me, and I nod, then he looks back at her. “She’s worried about losing her cat. Cat side, or whatever.”

The older woman’s expression softens. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you something to make this easier, but it's very likely your cat side will go away. Absorb into you and become a part of you."

I’ll actually lose her. My throat tightens. Memories come back to me of all the trouble my cat and I had gotten into together. As much as I resented her at times, she was the one constant in my life. And there were definitely moments when her shifting protected me.

I just hated not being in control of it. I’m always worried I’ll never have a real life as a freak who constantly disappears. But this isn’t what I always imagined. I’d always felt that she and I were somehow separate entities, even when we were one . So I’d never really considered that gaining my freedom would end her life.

This felt wrong in every way. And yet, if all of this stuff about the witch world is true, a lot of people will die if I can’t do this. People who put themselves out to help me.

Good people.

“Callie?” I glance up into Fran’s face, and she looks tired as she says, “I am sorry. You’ve already lost so much.”

Hank wraps an arm around me and squeezes. "Just keep in mind, we don’t know anything for sure.”

I nod my head and wish there was a way for me to say goodbye to my cat. To explain to her why I have to do this. Or at least give her a bowl of milk and a can of tuna before we do a spell that could destroy her. Hell, maybe give her a whole salmon.

We both know she deserves it.

"I’m okay," I tell them both, then gently pull out of Hank’s arms and shove my pain away. “Let’s focus on what we have to do.”

Hank nods.

I draw myself up taller and walk into the living room, then look at the crowd.

My guys sit on the couch, crammed close together, with Sugar and Hank's mom on the arms. Theresa sits in one of the armchairs with her guys behind her leaning against the wall. Will's mom is in the other armchair, and Hank's dad is near the bookshelves. It looks like he'd been studying my few volumes. Most of my books are in my room, but I unpacked some that I thought I might need down here.

Will gives me an assessing glance. “Ready?”

I turn in a slow circle and look around the room at my new friends and allies. "Let's do this." I nod and take in a deep breath.

"Okay. I'm going to focus." James steps forward. "I'm not the most powerful witch here, but I can feel the crack in the protection spell. If anyone feels an opportunity to do more during the spell, feel free to take over. I'll be flexible."

Wait. Shouldn’t the most powerful do this? James winks at me, which really doesn’t calm my nerves.

"That sounds agreeable," Fran said.

Everyone nods and stands. The furniture is still against the walls from earlier, so they form a tight circle around me. Hank, James, and Will stand directly in front of me. This is it. Oh geez. Oh, fuck .

"Would it help if everyone touched her?” Will’s mom asks.

Touches me? Why would that help?

James looks at Fran, who nods and explains. "I think it might, actually. We're not completely sure how this will go, so any connection to you might assist."

“Is that okay with you?” Will asks, a protective note to his voice.

I release a breath, remembering that these guys would never do anything to hurt me. “Yes, if it could help the spell.”

I hold both my hands straight out to my sides. The circle tightens around me, but still, the three men that I've become so attached to are the ones that I see, the ones I focus on.

The magic swirls around me again but not touching me. This time, there's so much more of it; I can see it, feel it, and even smell it. The scents of the magic are potent like someone has knocked over their spice cabinet. I fight the urge to sneeze away the smells of cinnamon, pepper, and cilantro. A whiff of mint whirls around my head, and I can't help but wonder what my guys’ magic smells like. I can't wait to find out. If everyone’s magic has a distinctive smell, then each of their magics should have a specific scent mingling with the comforting aromas swirling around me.

All the hands touching me feel warm and give me a sense of family, of belonging. It's nice to feel that way after being excluded for so long. I've always been the one on the outside. The one longing for acceptance and inclusion. The one crying alone.

It's just been me and my cat.

Closing my eyes, I think about her, about how it feels to be in her head, to ride around while she controls everything. We aren't the same, not at all. It's like we share bodies at all times, but we are never as one. I assume that when we're in my body, she rides around with no control. There have been times she has given me control of her body, so I'm almost certain she knows I'm in there. I can't feel her, though. I don't know why. I probably never will since my grandmother is gone.

James sighs. "Don't stop the process," he says in a soothing and even voice. "But would anyone else like to try?"

Fran pipes up. "I will."

I have no clue what they're doing. What it means to lead or focus or whatever it is. James squeezes my hand. "Try to think about opening yourself up. Imagine yourself absorbing the magic swirling around you."

I look from Hank to James to Will, noticing huge scratches on Will’s arm. I gasp and break everyone’s focus by grabbing his arm. “Did I do this?”

He cups my face and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “It’s okay. I’d do it again, and they’ll heal quickly.”

I nod, feeling like a big jerk, and take a deep breath. They focus again, and magic fills the air, swirling around me like a calm tornado of beautiful sparkles and energy. I imagine myself sucking in the magic I see and feel. I breathe in the smells and pretend they're swirling around inside me instead of outside.

Then I realize I forgot to grab the paper that has the spell written on it. Mother fucker.

When I'm about to tell them to stop everything and let me go get it, the words pop into my mind. I speak them, and the same weight and power fills them, making me feel like I'm proclaiming a truth to the world.

" One life has been taken,

For one life to return.

A price will be paid by someone dear.

Willingly.

Holding nothing back.

And then the crime that was done,

Will be undone."

When I'm finished, nothing is different. Nothing changes. "Repeat it, child," Fran whispers.

I repeat the words, focusing on the magic, the smells, on my grandmother's memory, both the fleeting one I have of her casting the very spell we're trying to undo and the one I have of my brief meeting with her.

When I'm finished, I stand there with my chin up and eyes closed, thinking all the absorbing thoughts I can. When nothing changes and several minutes pass, I open my eyes.

The guys are staring at me, dismayed. Fran sighs, and all the magic and smells disappear at once. "We don't have the strength," she declares. "Phoebe was the best of us, and she had the ability to channel magic from the very earth. The only people with that kind of power are her descendants. The king, and this poor child right here."

I turn and look at Fran. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, honey. It's not your fault. None of this is. Phoebe, she had the best of intentions. All she wanted was to keep you safe. If your uncle had found you when you were a child, you wouldn't have stood a chance." She heaves a huge sigh. "I just wish she'd given us more instructions or... something ."

"Well, we're in for the long haul now," Hank's mom says. "We have to stay together from this point on. Until the solstice."

I look at them all with wide eyes. "What?"

"He's going to be coming after us all, dear." Will's mom stands up and walks out of the room. "I'll make dinner… and drinks."

"But, how will we all stay here?" I ask. "I have one bed."

"Darling," Hank's mom croons. "We're witches." She laughs and follows Will's mom to the kitchen.

Hank’s dad gives a nervous smile. “We’ll figure everything out. Don’t worry,” then follows his wife into the kitchen.

Theresa sinks into the armchair, her men flanking her. One of them—I honestly can’t remember which is which at the moment—runs his hand down her long, dark hair. Then he twirls her white streak between his fingers absently as if it’s something he does often. "Dear girl," she says, eyeing my guys. "While I have you without everyone else, you should know. I see what's going on here. I noticed it at the beach. And if you have any questions or need advice, all you need to do is ask."

My face flushes bright red. "It's new and strange," I whisper.

James coughs, and Will snorts. Hank is silent. I look at him out of the corner of my eyes. He's as red as I feel.

"It'll feel that way for a while," Theresa's mate, I think Ian, says with a grin. "And at times, even we have moments of what the fuck. And we've been together for, what, almost twenty-eight years now?"

Theresa looks up at him with an eyebrow raised. "You aren't sure?"

Whoops. He's in trouble.

"Anyway, dear, you four keep your bedroom. We'll take the spare and set up the study for your parents, Hank. Will, your mom will be fine in here with Fran." Theresa stands up. "I'm going to go help them with dinner."

Her men file out after as if they can't stand the thought of being here without her.

“Well, I’m taking off. Call if you need anything!” Sugar says, and my gaze snaps to her.

“Thanks for trying,” I say, feeling uncertain.

Her smile is confident. “Don’t give it another thought!”

Sugar leaves with a wave.

No one else has come for her. Maybe she doesn’t have anyone? I should make more of an effort to become her friend.

Hank, James, and Will look at me.

"Are you okay?" James asks, his accent thick.

I've come to notice it usually thickens when he's upset. I smile at the thought that I've learned something about them. Something special and private.

"I’m not sure. I'm not sure where to go from here or what to do. If we can't unlock my powers?" I shrug, trying to sound nonchalant. "What's the point of all this? We might as well tell my uncle, hey! No worries. We're not a threat." My words come out more hurt than I’d hoped.

Will pulls me into his strong arms, a cocoon of strength surrounding me. "It’s going to be okay.” Then, his entire body tenses. “Actually... if we can find an object of great power, that might be enough. It could amplify our magic.”

An object of power? I pull back from him, staring at my guys, trying not to get my hopes up. Is that really possible?

“It’d have to be pretty powerful,” Hank muses, but I can hear the excitement in his voice.

“As a matter of fact,” Will continues, “there might be one in Phoebe's old house.”

James's eyes light up. "Actually, that’s a really great idea! We can sneak over there tonight and take a look."

"Yeah?" I ask, still feeling like a big sack of vulnerability.

"Oh yeah," Hank says. "We got this."

I'm glad somebody does cause goodness knows I don't have anything but nervous energy.