Page 58

Alonso

ALONSO THROWS HIS PHONE ONTO THE TABLE. “THERE, I TOLD HER I’M done. You happy?”

The old woman across the table gives Alonso a glare he wishes he could emulate. Her gray curls are gathered into a bun on top of her head, and even though she must be at least eighty, her skin has almost no wrinkles. Milton Pierre stands behind her, arms crossed over his chest.

“Grandma, we should go soon,” Milton says. “We got an appointment at the shop.”

Mrs. Katherine Pierre turns the full force of her glare on Milton. “We go when I say we go.”

Milton sighs. “Yes, ma’am.”

Mrs. Pierre looks to Alonso’s mom and aunts, who sit on the other end of the table. “You really expect us to believe you never knew your boy had his magic? None of y’all had an inkling ?”

“If we had known, we never would’ve let him get into this situation,” Vera says, her voice low.

“You don’t know how stubborn he is,” Donna mutters. “If he decides to keep a secret from us, wild horses can’t get it out of him.”

“He didn’t hurt anyone,” Emilia says quietly.

“That isn’t the point,” Mrs. Pierre says. “I’m here to make sure the Council’s integrity isn’t threatened by an overgrown child with no respect.”

“Thanks,” Alonso mutters, trying to ignore his pounding head. He spent one night in the hospital for observation, but it only made him feel worse. He didn’t sleep at all. How could he when Mrs. Emberly was two floors up?

Thinking of Mrs. Emberly makes him think of Penny, which makes the pounding worse. Something in his chest twists, and Alonso doubles over, clutching the front of his shirt.

He was so close to having Penny. Now, they’re over before they really began.

That thought is too big. It fills every vein in his body and makes him feel weak, like he no longer has control of his limbs. Alonso closes his eyes, trying to push it away. He used to tell himself that Penny was better off without him, but fuck that. He would love her better than anyone could. He would protect her.

But that’s a lie, because Alonso couldn’t break the curse. He’s useless after all.

Mrs. Pierre stands up, and even though she’s a foot shorter than Alonso, she towers over him in every other way.

“We don’t know how his magic escaped the Council’s binding,” Mrs. Pierre says, “but to make sure this never happens again, we’re going to require your coven to leave its seat of power. The magic in the soil is too strong. It might be why he was able to access his abilities in the first place.”

Alonso drops his hands to his lap. “You’re not serious.”

Mrs. Pierre’s eye twitches, which probably indicates she is indeed serious, and also that Alonso is annoying her.

“Mom,” Alonso says, hoping she’ll come up with some argument to save them. But his mom just sits there, eyes closed. It’s like she’s a ghost of herself.

“We were going to leave anyway,” Aunt Donna says. “The Barrions sent us a hefty check this morning. They’re buying our house.”

“They’re what ?”

“Alonso!” Vera snaps. “Enough!”

Alonso gapes at her. This doesn’t make sense. Even though they live across the street, the world of the De Lucas’ home has never belonged to the Barrions. They might as well reside in another dimension.

“You told them no, didn’t you?” Alonso says. “You won’t let them do this.”

None of his family members respond.

“Wow. Okay.” Alonso shoots to his feet. “I’ll tell them where they can shove their check—”

Milton’s voice cuts Alonso off: “Feet on ground, soul on ice.”

An icy weight traps Alonso, and he is caught mid-step. It figures someone would use the same exact spell Alonso used on Corey. That’s got to be karmic retribution.

Milton appears in front of Alonso, looking disappointed. “Gotta rein it in, man. You’re done.”

Alonso doesn’t want Milton looking at him that way. Like he’s a bundle of wasted potential. For a second, when Alonso was convinced they would break the curse, he daydreamed about training with Milton. Clearly that’s never going to happen.

“He won’t be upset for long,” Alonso’s mom says. “He’s been begging us to leave Idlewood for years. He’s getting exactly what he wanted.”

Alonso is suddenly glad he can’t look at his mom. There was never much hope of them getting their magic back, but his actions have made it impossible to hope at all. And worst of all, Alonso wants his magic. He wants to keep learning, to get stronger, to make his family proud—to make Penny proud.

That will never happen now.

Mrs. Pierre continues. “We’ll arrange for some temporary housing in Bloomington. Then you can decide where to relocate.”

Milton whispers a few words, and Alonso can move again. He wastes no time turning to Mrs. Pierre and falling to his knees. She flinches as he clasps his hands together.

“Please,” Alonso says, “don’t make us leave Idlewood. It’s the last bit of our identity we have left.”

Mrs. Pierre glances at Alonso’s mom. “You want to give your boy a reality check, or should I?”

Alonso’s mom stands up. “You were right, Alonso. We’re mortals. And you’ll be joining us soon enough.” She pauses, the tips of her fingers touching the old table like it’s a member of their family. “It’s time for us to start over.”

“That’s not what you want,” Alonso says.

“I want you to be safe . And that means we need to get away from that family.” She pulls Alonso to his feet, nails digging into his arm. Then she points at the solarium. “Now go.”

Milton and his grandmother follow Alonso into the solarium in a solemn procession. His mom and the aunts sequester themselves in another part of the house, because watching their family lose magic yet again is too much for any of them.

Alonso is on his own.

He stands in the middle of the room. Mrs. Pierre stands to the north, Milton to the south. Alonso is sweating, and as they raise their arms, words come pouring out from his mouth.

“If I’m so impressive, you shouldn’t seal my magic. Train me, and I’ll work for the Council. I’ll do anything.” At another sharp look from Milton, Alonso adds, “Ma’am.”

Mrs. Pierre looks like she wants to slap him. “Maybe in another universe, boy. But that won’t be your story.”

Alonso stares at his phone. The screen lights up with another text from Penny, but he can’t open it. He doesn’t want to tell her that he’s losing his magic, because that’s the only reason she ever needed him. What could he offer her now besides a bad temper and a worse reputation?

“Are you ready?” Milton says.

“Get it over with,” Alonso mutters.

They raise their arms. They speak softly, maybe because they don’t want Alonso to hear.

He closes his eyes.

His mom was right. Alonso never wanted magic, and he’s finally getting his wish. But as Alonso’s veins begin to thrum, his body is immediately covered in a layer of sweat. The words grow louder. He puts his hands over his ears, shouts something even he can’t understand, but the words of the binding spell are impossible to unhear:

“In every crevice, take every drop.

Forget the self that moves through the Veil.

Forget the words, forget the feeling

of glitter in the blood.

Bury the power, seal this witch

into a binding unbreakable

until to dust he returns.”

As they speak, they move from north and south to east and west. Like they’re turning a giant key in a lock.

Nobody told Alonso that it would hurt. The pain is like having his insides compacted into one of those tiny garbage cubes. Alonso feels himself scream, but he can’t hear anything anymore.

Until the spell ends, and his magic is sealed away.

Alonso is slumped over on the floor, gasping for air. A part of him has become unknowable, even to himself. From this moment on, there will be before and after. Alonso will live the rest of his life in the after. He already misses the buzz of magical energy under his skin.

He didn’t realize it was there until it was too late.