Outcast (Moonlight Wolves Book 4) by Jasmine B. Waters (28)

I nodded. “I know,” I said. “But it might be nice to see an old friend sometime.”

“Is that what we are?”

I shrugged and tried to smile. “I guess,” I said. “I mean, I think so.”

David nodded. “Yeah, okay,” he said. He slipped the napkin into his pocket and my heart sank – I was sure that he was just being polite. He leaned into give me a one-armed hug, then nodded his head and left the pub.

After David had gone, I felt stupid sitting there by myself. This was a dumb idea, anyway, I thought as I paid for my burger and slid off the stool. I was stupid to think I could just go out and make friends by sitting alone.

When I got back to my flat, the other two girls were unpacking in their room. One of them was on the phone – she had someone on speaker – and she was shouting in French. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I thought as I slipped into my room and shut the door. Definitely going to make friends with people in the same situation as me.

I pulled out my laptop and got ready to write an email to my mom. Not that there was much to say, but I honestly couldn’t deal with the prospect of calling Steven. Still, I knew I should check my messages. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I turned it on and waited for the inevitable notifications to fill my screen like angry darts.
To my surprise, my phone started buzzing right away with a British number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Elizabeth, it’s David. Where are you staying?”

My heart skipped a beat as I gave him the address.

“Want me to come over? I just got a bottle of this great wine, you’ll really like it.”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “That would be great.”

Ten minutes later, I met David at the door. Holding my hand up to my mouth, I gestured for him to be quiet. David nodded and followed me inside, slinking down the dark hallway like a cat. When his arm brushed against mine, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

My flatmates were still hiding in their own rooms, doors shut, lights out. I knew that I should be tired – aside from my nap, I’d been awake for almost thirty-six hours.

But seeing David again was making me feel anxious and jittery, like I’d just drank three cups of espresso.

“Nice,” David said quietly, running his hand along the inside of the door frame.

I forced a laugh. “Yeah,” I said. “I was kinda worried – I didn’t see many pictures of this place before I got here.”

David sat down on the edge of my bed and produced a bottle of wine from his backpack. He raised an eyebrow at me as he propped the bottle between his thighs and unscrewed the cork.

“I’ll go get glasses,” I said nervously. To be honest, I was glad for a distraction. I thought David would follow me from my bedroom to the kitchen, but when I got back, he was lying down and staring at the ceiling.

David smirked when he saw me. “Elizabeth, relax.”

“Sorry,” I said, stepping forward and sitting down gingerly at the edge of the bed. The mattress was an old one – it was hard not to sink back towards David, and after a few seconds, I moved to the desk.

David poured two glasses to the brim, then carefully handed it over.

“I didn’t sleep for a week when I first got here,” David said, running a hand through his black hair.

“Jet lag?”
David shook his head. “Not exactly. More like…amazement. I couldn’t believe that I was really here, that I’d gotten out of the States for good.”

I nodded. “It feels surreal,” I said. “I’m here, and I don’t feel any different. But everything’s different now.”
David nodded. He reached forward and we clinked glasses.

“You were right,” I said. “This is good.”

David nodded. “Not exactly known for their wine, I know, but there’s a little vineyard around here. I’m friends with some of the people who work there.”

I licked my lips nervously and took another long sip. The wine was fruity and almost smoky. It wasn’t round, like a California wine, but it seemed to be imbued somehow with the melancholy of England.

“It’s different,” David added. “But it’s grown on me.”

For a moment, we sat in silence. The question was tearing me apart inside, but I couldn’t even think of how to ask.

Finally, I knew that I had to get it out and over with.

“Do you ever think about Monica?”

David cocked his head to the side and gave me an odd look. “Yes. All the time.”

“I miss her,” I said. I shivered and set my glass down, wrapping my arms around my body. “No one ever talks about her anymore.”

David shrugged. “It hasn’t been that long,” he said.

“It feels like a lifetime.”

“Maybe to you,” David said. He drained half his glass at once. “But as soon as I left Vermont…I don’t know,” he added, shaking his head. “Something changed.”

I frowned. “How? What do you mean?”

“Hard to explain,” David said dryly. “I miss her. But there’s something inside of me, almost like a tangible object…and it’s not time for me to move on yet.”

Desperate for something to do with my hands, I grabbed my glass and took a long swallow. The wine burned my throat on the way down but I kept drinking, suddenly hungry for that hot, bleary sensation that told me I was well on my way to getting drunk.

“Things never went back to normal,” I said softly. “After she died, I mean.”

David raised an eyebrow. “So you believe it, then? You think she died?”

“It feels crazy to say that I feel like she’s still alive,” I said. “I don’t know, David. I miss her. But I had to get on with my life.”

“I wish I felt the same way,” David said. He peered at me intently. “Seeing you, though…”

“What?” I flushed.

“Eh, nothing.”

“Oh, god, don’t do that,” I said, shaking my head and draining my glass. “Tell me.”

David smiled – a faint curl of his lips. Someone who hadn’t met him before wouldn’t have even seen it but somehow, I knew. Somehow over the years, I’d learned to read him.

“Seeing you almost makes me feel like pushing past it,” David said. He sat up and refilled his glass. When I handed mine over, he did the same thing for me without being asked. We clinked and drank in silence.

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” David said. “It’s crazy. I hadn’t thought about you in years…and here you are.”

Something warm and fluttery inside of my chest twisted at the sound of his words, at the sound of his voice when he said ‘you.’

“Here I am,” I said quietly. Suddenly, the idea was almost comical to me. I’d flown halfway around the world to escape one man in my life. I giggled, flushing hotly when David gave me a skeptical look.

“I somehow should’ve guessed you have a low tolerance,” David said dryly. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

“No, it’s not that,” I said. I licked my lips. “I’m glad you called, David.”

Just then, a new thought – a darker thought – sprang into my mind. She can’t be dead, I realized as I stared down into my glass of crimson wine. She’s still alive – somewhere – because otherwise, her spells would have faded. David said he feels like he can’t move on. I glanced down at my phone, willing the screen to be empty. My heart sank when I saw the fifteen notifications from Steven D’Amico.

“You got serious all of a sudden,” David said. He frowned. “What’s wrong? I was kidding,” he added. “I’m glad I called, too.”

My heart was thudding in my chest as I stood up and walked over to the bed. When I sat next to David, the mattress shifted and rolled and suddenly I was pressed up against him.

“Elizabeth?” David looked at me for a second. I shivered – the look in his dark eyes made me feel exposed.

“I think this happened for a reason,” I said softly. “I…I can’t believe we would’ve found each other like this if something wasn’t supposed to happen.”

David didn’t reply, but he put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his lean body. When I felt his fingers skimming along the back of my neck, I closed my eyes and sighed softly.

“What do you think,” I asked softly. “I…I can’t read your mind, David.”

David set his wine glass down and shifted on the bed, facing me. The mattress lurched again and I fell against his chest, bracing my hands on his body. We stared at each other, not speaking. Then David reached up and stroked my cheek, cupping my chin.

“I’ve thought about you for a long time,” I said quietly. My cheeks flamed and I desperately wanted to look away but I couldn’t tear my eyes free from David’s gaze.

“Elizabeth…”

I leaned in and closed my eyes, putting my mouth close to David’s. I could smell him – the dark, musky scent of his body and whatever cologne he wore, and the smoky blend of wine.

“I have to break up with Steven.”

David’s hands on my shoulders were firm, but gentle as he pushed me away.

“I can’t do this, Elizabeth,” David said, climbing off the bed and getting to his feet.

My heart sank as I watched him sling his pack over his shoulder.

“No, please, don’t go,” I said quickly.

David shook his head. “If you’re still with that guy, I’m not staying,” he said. “I’m not going to sneak around like this, Elizabeth.” He gave me a long, hard look. “I really like you, but I’m not gonna sit around and wait for you to make up your mind about me.”

I closed my eyes and sighed as David left, closing the door quietly behind him. Part of me wanted to run after him, but I knew he was right. Before, back when we were kids, things had been different.

So why did I still want him so much?

I barely slept that night. I kept dreaming of men – David, Steven, some horrible combination of the two of them. When I woke up, Steven’s angry face was clinging to my mind as fiercely as if the image had been burnt to my brain.

I knew I should be nervous. But in that moment, reaching for my phone and settling back against the pillows, I felt nothing but cool, collected serenity washing over me.

Steven answered on the first ring.

“Elizabeth, what the hell is going on,” Steven demanded loudly. Wincing, I pulled the phone away from my face as his voice grew louder and louder. “I was so fucking worried about you! Do you know it’s been almost twenty-four hours since I heard from you? I was about to call the goddamned police,” he snapped. “Why would you do that to me?”

I sighed. “Steven, this isn’t working.”

“No shit,” Steven said angrily. “This nothing like what we agreed on, Elizabeth! How the fuck am I supposed to support my girlfriend if she won’t even talk to me?”

A twinge of anxiety sparked in my chest and I took a deep breath. “No, not this trip,” I said slowly. “Us. We’re not working, Steven. I can’t do this – I can’t be here and give you what you want.”

“I knew this would happen,” Steven growled. “I knew you just wanted an excuse to be away from me.”

I bit my lip.
“Elizabeth, tell me,” Steven demanded loudly. “Be honest.”

“You know what?” I said, not even thinking of the words as they tumbled from my mouth. “I did come here to get away from you. I’ve been trying to get away from you for years,” I added, shaking my head.

“Elizabeth, I—“

“Don’t,” I said. “We need to take a break, Steven. I need to be here on my own and figure some things out.”
“That’s bullshit,” Steven snapped. “You just want to have it both ways!”

“No,” I said. “I don’t. I want to break up, Steven.”

“You’re being crazy,” Steven said. The derisive edge in his voice made me roll my eyes. “You’re throwing away a really good relationship just because you’re selfish!”

“Me, selfish?” I said incredulously, shaking my head. “That’s the farthest thing from the truth! All I want to do is maintain my own life, Steven. And you’re not happy with that – you won’t be happy unless we’re completely merged!”

“Because that’s how relationships are supposed to be,” Steven growled angrily. “We’re supposed to want each other all the time, Elizabeth. And that’s how I feel about you – that’s how much I want you!”

“Steven, I can’t do this,” I said. “I need some time.”

“Do I need to fly over there and bring you home? Christ, Elizabeth! I don’t know what’s going on but you’re completely losing your mind.”

Tears of anger and defiance pricked my eyes and I blinked them back. “No, Steven,” I said coldly. “You can do whatever you want, but I’m not coming home until the end of the semester.”

“Elizabeth, I love you. Come on, please don’t do this. I can’t live without you, I feel like I’m losing my mind!”

For a moment, I felt guilt burning me. But then I took a deep breath and shook my head.

“We’re breaking up until I get back from England,” I said. “And then we can decide what we want to do, but you’re not going to bully me into staying with you.”

Steven didn’t reply. I wondered if I should say something else, then I heard the buzz of a dial tone in my ear.

“Fine,” I said into the dead space. “Bye, Steven.”

Chapter Seven

Elizabeth – Present Day

“Elizabeth,” Ligeia said. “This is a warning. If you leave, we cannot assure you of anything. And your betrayal will not be so easily forgotten.”

“I’m not leaving forever,” I said quickly. “I told you – I just have some things that I have to take care of, that’s all. I’ll be back. I promise.”

“This is what you wanted, remember?” Ligeia glared. “You wanted your best friend, your Monica. And now she has returned, and yet you are still not happy. Why, Elizabeth?”

“Because,” I growled through gritted teeth. “She’s not the same.”

“Isn’t she?” Ligeia clicked her tongue against her teeth and shook her head. “Or have you just remembered things which you’d rather have forgotten?”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. Dropping to my knees, I closed my eyes and surrendered to my own emotions. Tears came to my lids and I blinked them back hotly, covering my face with my hands.

“I just don’t know why I was able to forget everything that happened,” I moaned, sniffling. “I don’t know why I forgot! And now, I can’t un-see the past. I can’t…” I trailed off, biting my lip and sighing. “I can’t forget about her stabbing Andrea.”

Ligeia gave me a cold look. “You are weak, child,” she said. “Take time – return home, regain your strength.”

Relief washed over me.

“But then you will return,” Ligeia said harshly. “You will return, and serve me, for as long as I please.” She held her chin high in the air.

As I ran from the coven, I wondered just what exactly Ligeia had in mind.

I ran for what felt like hours and hours, until my legs were threatening to give way from under my body and my chest ached so badly that I felt like I’d been stabbed in the lungs.

It felt like a much, much longer way out of the woods than usual. By the time I got back home, the moon was high above me and the night sky was dotted with stars.

I didn’t know what I was going to do. The only thing I was certain of was that I couldn’t go home – not like this, not when I didn’t have any answers.

And now when I didn’t feel like dealing with Steven or Karen.

Instead, I wandered around until the dark sky began to fade into a tawny pink and orange sunrise. I was starving and dehydrated, but somehow it was like the needs of my body weren’t even a concern. I was running on autopilot, on fear.

On anticipation.

Finally, I reached for my phone. Please work, I thought as I scrolled through my contacts. Please let me find him.

When he answered, the voice was deeper and almost unrecognizable.

“Hello?”

I cleared my throat. “It’s Elizabeth,” I said nervously. “I need to talk to you.”

David sighed. “This is a surprise,” he said. His voice was neutral, impossible to read. “What’s going on?”

Oh, nothing, your long-lost girlfriend is miraculously still alive and the witches I swore fealty to want me dead, I thought sarcastically. But of course, I knew I couldn’t say anything like that.

“The coven,” I managed to say. “The leaders…they’re lying to me,” I said. “About Monica.”

David was so silent on the other line of the phone that for a moment I thought I’d lost the call. I had no idea what I was doing – if I brought Monica home, what was going to happen? Would she call off the spells? Or would everything just revert back to the way it had been before – complete and total insanity. I shuddered. I didn’t want that back – I didn’t want to be standing in the eye of the hurricane, watching as Steven made a fool of himself day after day.

But I knew something had to change.

“Well, what do you want me to do about it?” David sounded petulant, peevish. “Elizabeth, why did you call me?”

“Because something’s wrong and I don’t know how to handle it,” I said softly, slumping down and sitting on the wet ground. “And you’re the only one I can trust.”

David inhaled sharply. “What about your fiancé?”

“We’re broken up.”

“Elizabeth, I don’t know what you think I can do,” David said. “It’s not like I can flip a switch and have everything back to normal.”

“I know that,” I said. I couldn’t lie – the way he was talking to me like I was a little kid was hurtful. But I deserve this, I thought, thinking back over the years. I’d never been honest with myself when David was concerned. And now, I was paying for that.

David sighed. “Look, if you’re really that worried – why not try to go back? Why not see if you can find out what they want on your own? You’re smart, Elizabeth – I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“What if I can’t find it on my own?”

“Then I can’t help you, anyway,” David said. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I had a feeling he was smirking. “So you might as well just give it a shot on your own.”

“But if they’re lying to me, how am I supposed to outsmart them? That’s not fair, they’re both much more powerful than I am.”
“Well, they obviously want something from you,” David drawled. “Just try, Elizabeth. If there’s a chance of your helping Monica, it’ll be worth it.”

That stung, too, but I nodded and bit my lip, determined not to let him know that he’d hurt me.

“I have to take a chance,” I said, more for my benefit than David’s. “I have to try.”

“Yeah,” David said. “Look, I’m sorry…”

“About what?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Forget it, Elizabeth,” David said. “I’m worried about you, that’s all.”

I sighed heavily. “Well, I got myself into this,” I said softly. “The least I can do is try to help myself out.” I wouldn’t have admitted it, but hearing David say that he was worried about me was like a soothing balm on my fear.

“Good luck,” David said. “I’ll be in touch, okay?”

“Okay,” I said numbly. “Thanks.”

We hung up and I slipped my phone back into my pocket. By now, the humid night air was drying up and I was feeling exhausted. It was with a heavy heart that I walked the distance from the edge of the woods to the house that I still shared with Steven and Karen. I sighed with relief when I saw that the driveway was empty.

Good, I thought as I slipped inside and kicked off my muddy shoes. At least I don’t have to worry about a fight.

“There you are.”

At the sound of Karen’s voice, I jumped in alarm and clutched my chest.

“Jesus,” I muttered, flicking the light switch. Karen was sitting at the dining room table with her arms crossed over her chest.

She glared. “You haven’t been home in days,” Karen pointed out. “Steven’s really worried about you.”

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “Yeah, I bet he is,” I said sourly. “Look, I’m just here to pack a bag.”

“You’re making a mistake, Elizabeth,” Karen said. “You’re being really selfish and I don’t even think you understand what kind of damage you’re doing to Steven.”

I sighed. “Look, why do you even care? This isn’t any of your business,” I said angrily. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm but I couldn’t help it – I was getting so tired of everyone acting like they knew better than me.

“I care because you’re both my friends,” Karen said. “And I don’t really like watching my friends throw things away,” she added.

“Like I said, none of your business.”

I walked out of the kitchen and jogged up the stairs. The bedroom I shared with Steven was a complete mess. I frowned as I opened the closet and reached for my suitcase.

“Elizabeth, I’m going to call Steven, he should come over and you guys can talk.”

“Karen, butt out of this,” I snapped.

Karen gave me a wounded look. To my dismay, she stalked into the room and flopped down on our bed, intently watching me as I tossed jeans and tops into the open suitcase.

“Where are you going?”

I didn’t look up.

“Elizabeth?”

I sighed. “I’m going to my parents’ house for a few days while I get things sorted out,” I said, brushing my sweaty hair back from my forehead. “And then I guess I’m moving out. We’re almost at the end of our lease, anyway,” I added. “So this isn’t a bad time.”

Karen was looking at me with her mouth hanging open. “You’re kidding,” she said.

“I’m not.” Looking down into my suitcase, I decided that I’d gathered enough of my things. I grabbed a small bag and dumped my makeup, deodorant, and phone charger inside before tucking it in my suitcase and zipping the whole thing closed.

“Steven’s going to be really upset,” Karen said.

“I don’t care,” I replied flatly. “That’s not my problem, Karen.”

Karen frowned. “I don’t know why you’re being so cold,” she said, sniffing as if I’d somehow offended her.

“Karen, I don’t really have a choice,” I said, shaking my head and pulling my suitcase up. For just having a few clothes inside, it was surprisingly heavy.
“Well, if Steven comes back, what do you want me to tell him?”

I shrugged as I made my way down the hall. “I don’t care,” I said, shaking my head. “Tell him whatever you want.”

The drive home to Jaffrey felt shorter than usual, almost as if the town was somehow anticipating my arrival. When I pulled into the driveway, Mom ran out from the house immediately. She smiled tentatively, as if she wasn’t sure how she should greet me.

“I’m fine,” I said, rising out of the car and forcing a smile. “Trust me, this is a good thing.”

Mom nodded but this time, she was frowning. “Honey, I’m just happy you’ve come back for a visit,” she said softly.

“Yeah, about that…” I trailed off, gnawing on my lip. I wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something about being around my parents that still made me feel like a little kid. “I might be here for a while,” I added. “My lease is up soon and I’ll need to find a new place.”

“What about Steven?”

“I don’t know,” I said darkly as I hefted my suitcase out of the backseat and carried it up the driveway. “I think I need some time on my own for a while.”

“That’s not a bad thing, honey,” Mom said. She smiled, but I could tell she was unhappy. “How does salmon sound for dinner?”

“Great,” I muttered. “Perfect, even.”

Mom left me alone while I settled back into my room. Aidan was off at college in Georgia – we hadn’t talked in months. I had him added as a friend on Facebook, but I had the sinking suspicion he’d long since changed all of his privacy settings so I’d never be able to see what he was up to. It was funny – now that we were older, I had a lot of affection for Aidan. But at the same time, I’d never forgotten about what had happened when we were growing up.

Being back in my old room felt strange. I tried to push those feelings to the side, but now that I was home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Monica. What would happen when I tried to find the coven?

Was I already too late?

“Elizabeth!” Mom yelled. “Dinner!”

“Coming,” I yelled back. “Just give me a second.”

Dinner was awkward. Mom and Dad were clearly curious about what was going on – and why I wasn’t wearing my engagement ring – but they knew better than to pry. Still, the silence was killing me.

“Look,” I said bluntly. “I’m fine, okay?”

“I know, honey,” Mom said. She reached out and put a hand on my arm. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”
“You have literally no reason to be worried,” I told her, crossing my arms. “I just don’t think I’m ready to get married. Not to Steven, at least.”

Mom and Dad exchanged a nervous glance. “That’s important, honey,” Dad said slowly. “And you know how I feel about this – you’re much too young.”

Mom sighed. “Elizbeth, we just want you to know that we support you.”

I stabbed my fork down in a pile of oven-roasted carrots. “Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate it.”

“And however long you want to stay here, that’s fine,” Mom continued. “But we’ll have to talk about rent.”

I laughed. “Trust me, I won’t be here more than a few days,” I said. At least, I hope I won’t.

“However long is fine,” Dad said. He cleared his throat and pushed back from the table. “If you’ll both excuse me, I’m going to do some work in my office.”

When Dad was gone, the awkward tension went from mildly unbearable to incredibly uncomfortable. I stood up and carried my plate over to the sink, washing it off and sticking it in the dishwasher.

“You’re so grown up,” Mom said, leaning back in her chair and narrowing her eyes. “I feel like I don’t even know you, honey.”

I frowned. “That’s an odd thing to say,” I said slowly. “Are you mad at me?”

Mom gazed at me with a glassy expression. “Of course not,” she said. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. It feels like yesterday that you were back in high school.”

“I’m going upstairs for the night,” I said, feigning a yawn. “Want me to clean up?”

Mom shook her head. “No, honey, it’s okay,” she said. “Thanks for offering.”

I darted up the stairs, unable to shake the feeling that I’d somehow driven myself back in time.

Waiting for Mom and Dad to go to sleep was torture. It was ridiculous – I was an adult now, it wasn’t like I had to wait for their permission to leave. But again, being back in their house made me feel young and inexperienced, a true naïf.

Finally, around ten-thirty, the light under my parents’ bedroom door turned off. I dressed in jeans, a pair of hiking boots, and a thick sweater, but then I made myself wait another fifteen minutes. It wasn’t until I could hear the loud sound of my dad snoring through his bedroom door that I snuck downstairs and crept outside, into the woods.
“I’m coming for you, Monica,” I said under my breath. “You’d better be ready.”

My boots crunched over dead leaves and twigs as I walked hesitantly into the woods. I shivered, remembering the last time I’d looked for the coven – years ago, before leaving for abroad. Then, I wasn’t able to find it. But tonight I was feeling determined and powerful. The moon was almost full and I tried to summon the strength of the goddess as I walked through the branches and brambles.

I’m a goddess, just like you, I thought in determination as I hiked further and further away.

For once, I felt confident and strong. Sure enough, the woods around me began to thin and warm as I approached the coven. When I hit the clearing, I took a deep breath.

“Ligeia,” I called loudly. “I’ve returned.”

Ligeia floated across the clearing, looking pleased and dignified. “Child,” she said. “You’ve come back. I knew you would return.”

I forced a smile. I knew that I was about to give the biggest theatrical performance of my life, and I was starting to get nervous. My hands were sweaty and I wiped them on my thighs.

“Yes,” I said, keeping my voice sweet and light. “I came back. I had to, you know.”

“And have you made your decision?”
Swallowing, I nodded briefly. “Yes,” I said softly. “I’ve decided to remain here, and allow Monica the chance of returning to the world beyond the coven.”

Ligeia smiled. “Good,” she said. “I am pleased with you, child. Henrik, too, will be pleased.”

“I’m glad.”

“Come, child,” Ligeia said, clapping her hands together briefly. “There is much to be done.”

I followed Ligeia through the clearing, between the different huts, and into the circle of woods where Andrea’s body had been bound to a tree years ago. I could feel her energy pulsing weakly through the enchanted land – she was still alive, but barely.

“It doesn’t seem like years have passed,” I said softly. “It feels almost like yesterday.”

Ligeia smiled, showing her even and white teeth. “I can understand that, child,” she said. “For me, it has been a mere blink.”
My apprehension grew as I followed Ligeia deeper and deeper into the woods. The moon was gleaming and white overhead – I wasn’t sure why, but it always seemed much larger in the coven than it did in the real world.
Ligeia stopped and pulled a knife from her robes. She held it out to me and gave me an expectant look.

“Offer yourself to the earth, child,” Ligeia said.

Gritting my teeth, I took the sacred athame from Ligeia’s hands and sliced open my palms, squeezing the puckered skin until the blood was flowing freely. It hurt, but I felt somehow detached from the pain.

So far, everything is working, I thought as I knelt and smeared my palms to the earth. Ligeia knelt down and took my wrists in her hands with surprising strength. She bound my wrists together with a leather cord.
“Your soul shall be bound to the coven from this point forward,” Ligeia said. She took the athame and gently scratched something on my forehead with the tip. As I felt the sharp blade cut into my skin, I winced.

Ligeia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then she began to chant, mumbling under her breath and rolling her head around on her neck. The trees began to wave and sway, mimicking Ligeia’s graceful movements. The wind increased and whirled around me, whipping my hair around my face in painful tangles. Ligeia’s chanting grew louder, as if it was coming from the earth itself. My heart started to thud faster and faster and soon, I felt like my chest was opening right up to the universe.

“You belong to us,” Ligeia thundered. I shivered – the sound of her voice was no longer just Ligeia’s, but Henrik’s, too, and all of the witches in the coven. Her blue eyes blazed brightly in the dim light and I shuddered at the intense look there.

Ligeia touched the knife to my chest, right above my heart. She pressed the blade against my skin until I began to bleed. Strangely, it didn’t hurt at all – but I felt a strange, swirling energy inside my body. It was an odd feeling, almost like a storm was raging within my bones.

When it was over, Ligeia cut the cords from my wrists. Rubbing them with my fingers, I climbed shakily to my feet.

“Now, child, you want to see Monica, yes?”

“Yes.” My mouth was dry and I licked my lips. “Please, I mean.”

Ligeia nodded. “I am pleased with you,” she said. “You have done well, Elizabeth.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. If she had any idea how I was really feeling,…well, I didn’t even want to think about that.

I followed Ligeia out of the woods and back into the clearing. Monica was sitting there, with her head cocked to the side. When she saw me, she looked confused.

“Ligeia, mistress, I have one favor to ask from you,” I said, bowing my head to show respect. “Please, allow me to leave one last time – so that I can say goodbye to my fiancé, Steven.”

Ligeia frowned. “You have broken with him, have you not?”

“Yes, because I knew I was coming back here,” I said softly. “But I want to say goodbye.”

Monica narrowed her eyebrows. “Ligeia,” she said quickly. “You have to let Elizabeth go, or else my spell still holds on Steven. He won’t ever get over it, or have a normal life, without her. She has to see him once more to break the enchantment.”

Ligeia’s blue eyes were two turbulent storms as she stared at Monica, then at me.

“Child,” she said quietly. “You deceived me.”

Fear struck my heart and I shook my head quickly from side to side. “I didn’t,” I said quickly.

“Elizabeth didn’t mean to,” Monica said. “She didn’t know about the spell I’d cast, Ligeia.”

Ligeia gave me a long, hard look. “Your soul is bound to that of Prudence Arrowsmith now,” she said. “If you do not return of your own free will, I will be forced to come and take you. That will not be pleasant,” she said, staring coldly. “You understand, yes?”

“I know,” I said quickly. Inside, I was panicking. But something about Monica’s calm expression made me feel better – was it true, what she’d said about the spell?

It didn’t matter, as long as I had one last chance to break free.

“Besides, I should take Monica back,” I added softly. “She’s been away for years. She’ll need to acclimate.”

Ligeia scoffed. “I do not wish to hear any more,” she said. I could tell she was seething with anger. “Go, then, if you must,” she said. “But when you return, know that from that point on, you belong to me. The coven will be your permanent home. You will never be allowed to leave.”

I didn’t say anything – I was too afraid that somehow agreeing with her would just make things worse. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Monica grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. We walked through the clearing together, my heart pounding in my chest.

“What are you doing,” I hissed.

Monica looked at me, clearly frightened. “Shh,” she said. “Not yet, it’s not safe.”

We walked on in silence. The blood pounding against my eardrums was deafening, and it took a full minute to realize that we were actually running. As the woods grew denser and less full of Ligeia’s powerful magic, I felt an equal sense of relief and terror shooting through my body.

We didn’t stop running until we were almost out of the woods. When I could see the treeline and the houses of Jaffrey, I took a deep breath and stopped, leaning over to rub my legs.

“Monica…” I trailed off, reaching for my friend’s shoulder. She stopped and turned, giving me a frightened look.

“What?”

I swallowed nervously. “People…everyone thinks your dead,” I said softly. “They had a memorial service and everything.”

Monica gave me a strange look. “I’m not surprised,” she said, shaking her head. “It was probably easier for Henrik to do that than worry about wiping everyone’s minds.”

I bit my lip. A cold chill came over me and I shuddered. My palms were still bleeding from the deep cuts of Ligeia’s athame.

“Why did you do that,” Monica asked softly. “Why would you risk coming back like this, Elizabeth?”

“I had to,” I said. “I…Something’s not right,” I added.

“No shit,” Monica said darkly. “They lied to us the whole time. I just wish I could’ve told you before you signed yourself over like that.”

“What?” I frowned. “What do you mean, lied?”

“About everything,” Monica said. “Come on, this way.”

She led me around the back of her house and into the yard. When we were just a short distance away from the woods, Monica turned to me with tears glistening in her brown eyes.

“They lied about everything,” she said, sniffling. “About Andrea, about Prudence – about the real reason why they wanted her.”

My heart sank. “So I was right,” I said slowly. “I had a feeling…that something wasn’t right.”

“It’s worse than you could have imagined,” Monica said. She swallowed hard. “They didn’t want to protect the world from Prudence. They wanted her soul for themselves – they wanted her power, and they told me they were sick of living in hiding.” She wrapped her thin arms around her thin torso and hugged herself tightly. “And now, they have her soul. They can do it, Elizabeth. They can unleash hell on the whole world.”
For a moment, I thought I was going to pass out.

“Why? Why would they do this? And then lie – why would they lie to us?”

Monica looked miserable. “Because they’re powerful witches,” she said, shaking her head. “And we only have one chance at defeating them.”

I shook my head. “There’s no way we’d be able to do that,” I said softly. “There’s no way we’re strong enough.”

Monica smiled. “You’re forgetting something,” she said. “Before I left…well, I have a surprise for you.”

I frowned. “This isn’t a time to joke around,” I said, shaking my head. “This is really fucked up, Monica! This is serious shit!”

“I know,” Monica said. “Look, I’m not trying to make light of the situation. But I swear, this is important.”

“What, then?”

Monica pointed toward the woods. When I saw Andrea walking towards us, in a ghostly trance, I shrieked with fear.
“Shhh, Elizabeth!” Monica grabbed my hand and squeezed. “This is a good thing, she’s going to help us!”

“You’re kidding,” I said warily. “You hate each other.”

“Prudence’s soul is asleep,” Monica said, shaking her head. “But we don’t have much time.”

Andrea came closer and closer. She was floating just above the ground, the tips of her feet brushing against the wet grass. Her eyes were closed and I could sense that she was barely alive, that she was on the very edge of death.
“Andrea,” Monica said, snapping her fingers. “Wake up.”

Andrea’s eyelids flew open. “Hello, Elizabeth,” she said softly. “It’s been a long time.”

I stared right back at her. “Yes,” I replied. “Yes, it has.”

Chapter Eight

Andrea

When I was a little girl, my mother used to hold me in her arms and tell me that I was the most special child in the world. For a long time, I never really thought anything of it.

But as I got older, I realized how different my life was from the other children I knew.

We were always a very close-knit family. I was close to my mother, my aunts and uncles, and my brother, Steven. Mother prided herself on being the strength of the family, the backbone that kept the rest of us going. She was so strong that it scared me sometimes – I could hardly watch her without wondering if I’d ever learn to be as tough.

When I was four years old, something happened that would change the rest of my life. I remember the day really well – it was bright and sunny and humid, one of those summer days that makes you tired just from the heat. My older brother, Steven, and I were at church, in the basement: it was Vacation Bible School week, and I’d just gotten my very first bible. I was so proud and happy, I couldn’t stop running around and showing it off.

One of the other children pulled me aside and gave me a mean look.
“Do you believe in Hell,” she asked, plucking the bible from my hands and flipping through the thin pages. “Because I think we’re all going there.”

I can’t remember what I said back to her, but it really upset me. I couldn’t stop crying, and I wouldn’t tell my mother – or anyone else – what was bothering me so much. I was suddenly terrified of dying and going to Hell. For months and months, it was all I thought about. I barely slept. At night, I’d pull the covers over my head and pray for hours, too keyed up to drift off.

I thought it was real, you see – I felt it was real, with every cell in my body.

That was when I became truly religious. Our whole family was very pious, even Steven, before he got into high school. Mother would pray with us nightly, holding our hands and instructing us to stay close as a family. It was hugely important to me. And I have to admit, I enjoyed the special attention that I got from Mother now that I was learning to have a personal relationship with God.

But when I started school, everything changed. In kindergarten, I wasn’t very happy. Eventually, after a couple of months, the teachers tested me and decided that I should be placed in first grade. They thought that would help, but at first, it just made things worse. I felt so much smaller and younger than the rest of the children in my class, even though they were just one year older than myself. It was a strange and scary experience, and the only thing that got me through it was knowing that at the end of each day, I’d go home and Mother would be waiting with a snack in the kitchen.

My brother, Steven, took naturally to school. He was smart and athletic, and his older friends would always hang around the house, eating all of our food and making a mess in the kitchen. Mother didn’t mind, even when I sulk about it – she was happy that her children were doing well and making friends.

“Andrea, you’ve got to be friendly,” she’d say when I complained about not having any friends. “You’ve got to make those older kids realize that you deserve to be with them, don’t you understand?”

I understood, but I was so naturally shy that it was hard.

Then one day, everything changed. I was crying in the bathroom and two girls in my class – Elizabeth Hartsell and Monica Boer – walked into the bathroom. I’d never talked to them before. Elizabeth seemed nice enough: she was quiet, like me. But Monica was a troublemaker. She was loud and brash and she’d made half of the boys in our class cry.

I was afraid of her.

“Why are you crying?” Monica asked, walking over and putting her hands on her hips. She was short and slim, but somehow she seemed as intimidating as an adult. “There’s no reason to be upset,” she added. “You’re fine.”

“Monica…” Elizabeth looked at her friend and trailed off. “Andrea, what’s wrong?”

“I’m afraid,” I said softly.

“Don’t be stupid,” Monica said. “There’s nothing to be scared of.”

“But I might die,” I replied. Tears filled my eyes and my chin began to tremble and shake. “I might die and go to Hell.”

Elizabeth and Monica exchanged a weird look.

“You’re not going to die, don’t be stupid,” Monica said. She spoke with the arrogant air of our teacher. “Stop crying. We should go back to class.”

But Elizabeth had been kinder. She’d taken my hand and told me that everything was going to be okay, that I just had to take a few deep breaths until I calmed down. To my shock, she was right.

After that, we sort of became friends. I wasn’t particularly close to either of the girls, but my mother was just happy that I had a few acquaintances for playdates. And Monica was oddly fascinated with our house – she loved coming over and poking around, sticking her nose in all of Mother’s religious books.

“Little girls shouldn’t be reading that,” Mother said once, flushing as she plucked a book about natural contraception from Monica’s hands. “It’s inappropriate.”

Monica stuck her tongue out. “Jamie and Brian let me read whatever I want,” she said, tossing her fair hair. “I don’t think it’s fair.”

My mother didn’t care for Monica after that – she said she was disrespectful – but I couldn’t help it. I was suddenly in awe of her. She was so cool. She never cared what anyone thought about her, and she could come up with insults quicker than I could snap my fingers. Most of all, her parents let her wear whatever she wanted…and she called them by their first names! She was like a character from a show: cool and wild and more than a little scary.

I didn’t understand why she and Elizabeth were such good friends.

As we got older, I lost a little of the awestruck feelings I had towards Monica. We butted heads more than a few times, and when my beloved aunt died, Monica made fun of me for crying in the middle of school.

“You miss your aunt, don’t you,” Monica said after class, bumping her hip into mine with more force than necessary. For someone so small, she was actually quite strong.

“Yes.” I sniffled. “She was my best friend.”

“Well, we’re in ninth grade now,” Monica said, raking a hand through her pale blonde hair. “I mean, my grandparents both died last year. We’re getting older, people are starting to die off.”

“That’s not very nice,” I said, swallowing hard. A weird feeling was starting to bloom in my chest and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“Well, yeah, I just mean, I’m sorry it happened,” Monica said. “It still hurt when my grandfather died, even though he had cancer. Like, we all saw it coming…but it still sucked.”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “It hurts a lot.”

Monica’s eyes flashed mischievously. “I know a way you can talk to her,” she said, smiling. “Wanna come over?”

“What?” My heart skipped a beat in my chest. “What are you talking about?”

Monica smiled – a secret, cool little smile. “Just come to my house after school,” she said. “It’s fun, you’ll like it.”

I frowned. “I don’t know,” I said. “I should probably get home – I got extra homework in biology to make up for that test.”

Monica waved her hand through the air. “Forget biology, it’s easy,” she said. “Look, I’ll even help you with your work, okay?”

“What about Elizabeth?”

Monica laughed. “If your brother has soccer practice after school, Elizabeth won’t budge,” she said. “She’s got a huge crush on him.”

“Really?” I squinted. “On Steven?”

“Yeah,” Monica replied. She laughed. “Don’t tell her, she’ll kill me,” she said. “Or fine, tell her and watch her flip out. She’s so sensitive about it, it’s like the first time she’s ever liked a guy.”

I swallowed. “Steven’s not allowed to date yet,” I said. “Mother wouldn’t let him.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Monica said. She laughed again. “Elizabeth doesn’t care about that – she’s terrified of guys,” she said, snickering. “The one time Steven spoke to her, she turned bright red. So, come on, over to my place,” she added, jerking her head to the side. “And then we can talk to your aunt.”

I had a bad feeling about whatever it was that Monica was about to do, but I couldn’t deny that I was curious, too. I called Mother and told her I’d be a little bit late, and then followed Monica across town and into her parents’ rambling farmhouse.

“This is it,” Monica said triumphantly, pulling out a rectangular box and dumping it on my lap. “Come on, open it!”

I frowned. The box had a picture of a board with letters, numbers, and a sun and moon on it. “Oh-eye-ja? What is that?”

“Ouija,” Monica said. She shrugged. “I don’t know, I found it in the attic. But it works, look.” She plucked the box back from my hands and opened it on her bed. Pulling out a small plastic triangle, she held it in the air. “We put our fingers on this,” she said, demonstrating. “And close our eyes and then we can talk to spirits.”
“This doesn’t seem right,” I said slowly. “I…I don’t know, Monica. I don’t know that I want to do this.”

By now, I was so frightened that my curiosity had almost completely ebbed away.

“Come on, it’s totally harmless,” Monica said. “We’ll go up to the attic, Jamie and Brian won’t bother us there.”

So, I did what Monica wanted. I followed her into the attic, sat down, and put my hands on that horrible thing.

And after that, my life was never the same.

---

At first, after the séance, I was sure that the problem was with me. I couldn’t even remember what happened – the last thing I remembered was climbing up the rickety attic stairs behind Monica’s slim figure. And Monica wouldn’t talk to me – not that I wanted her to. I’d apparently run out of her house, screaming and crying and hysterical. And then my parents had called her parents, and Mother told me that I was forbidden to see Monica from that point forward.

That’s when the dreams started. Strange, scary, foreign dreams – dreams of a far-away place and people with funny clothes and even stranger accents. In my dreams, I was a young girl, in the time of the Puritans. And everyone called me Prudence.

“That’s not my name,” I remember saying once in a dream. “My name is Andrea.”

A strange, beautiful woman with black hair and bright blue eyes seemed to hate me. She followed me around from place to place, threatening me whenever I tried to do something good.

I expected the dreams to stop, but they never did. And a year later, things started happening around town. Monica went missing, then Elizabeth. I couldn’t explain it: during the day, I felt awake. But at night I’d wake up in bed and shake and shiver, unable to believe the things I’d said and done. I felt myself transforming completely into another girl, a monster, who pushed others around and used my religious beliefs for evil.

“I’m proud of you, Andrea,” Mother had said one night. “If this keeps up, you might think about taking orders and becoming a nun.”

That wasn’t what I wanted, but somehow, I couldn’t even express that.

And now, I only had the vaguest idea of what to do. I’d woken up at the edge of the woods, wearing dirty and torn clothing, bleeding and confused. And Elizabeth and Monica had been right there, staring at me. Elizabeth had looked horrified – like she was staring into the face of a ghost. But Monica had that same satisfied smirk, the smirk I’d come to hate.

“There’s no time, Andrea,” Monica said. “We have to go. Now.”

I was so weak that I could barely walk. Monica led me inside, up the stairs to her bedroom. Elizabeth brought steaming mugs of tea and a grilled cheese sandwich that I devoured in a matter of seconds. They stared at me, cautiously, for what seemed like a long time.

“Andrea, how much do you remember?” Elizabeth asked softly.

“I was in the woods for years…” I trailed off, shaking with fear. “A man and a woman kept me there.” I shuddered again, spilling hot tea from the mug and over my fingers. It burned, but I could barely feel the pain. “They hurt me,” I said softly. “And they called me Prudence.”

“You were possessed, but the spirit inside of you is sleeping now,” Elizabeth said quickly. She took the cup of tea back and set it down on the floor. “And we have to defeat those people – the witches. And you have to help us.”

Tears came to my eyes and I shook my head. “I don’t know what to do,” I said quickly. “I…I can barely remember anything!”

Monica and Elizabeth glanced at each other. “Andrea…that was years ago,” Elizabeth said softly. “A lot has changed since then. I’ve been away for years, but Monica was there the whole time.”

“I kept you safe,” Monica said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was the reason you never died, Andrea.”

“Why did they do that?”
“Because they’re evil,” Monica said. “And we have to attack them – soon, or else it’s gonna be too late.” She tossed her hair impatiently and suddenly I noticed she looked different, older. “I swear, it’ll be okay, Andrea. But we can’t do it without you.”

“Please,” Elizabeth added. “We really need your help.”

“It’s your fault this happened,” I said, staring accusingly at Monica. “If you’d never made me do that stupid séance, I never would’ve been possessed!”

“And I’m really sorry about that,” Monica said in a pleading sort of voice. “I really am, Andrea, I feel terrible. But we have to move on, okay? Or else you’re gonna spend the rest of your life trapped in the woods.”

“I’m still angry with you,” I said bitterly. “But…I think I’m angrier with them, the witches who kept me trapped.”

Monica nodded. “I’m angry with them, too,” she said. “They lied to me, for years. They lied to Elizabeth, too.”

“What can we do?”

Monica sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll think of something,” she said, reaching for a pen and pad of paper. “We’re going to have to go back and act like everything is okay, like we want to stay there. Catch them off guard. And then we can attack them, maybe even using the soul of Prudence.”

My jaw dropped. “No way,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not letting that…that thing in my body again!”

“Okay, well, we’ll come back to that idea,” Monica said with a shrug.

“No,” I said. “No way, it has to be something else.”

Monica flopped down on her bed and scribbled at the pad, pursing her lips.

“I’m sorry about this,” Elizabeth said softly. “I know it can’t be easy for you.”

I sighed. “I…I just wish I could remember more,” I said. “The last thing I remember is high school.”

Elizabeth looked guilty. “Do you remember what happened to your leg?”

I frowned. “No. Should I?”

Elizabeth pointed to my knee. “You…you broke your leg, years ago,” she said. “That was um, back…well, back when we sorta found out about Prudence.”

Reaching down, I rubbed my leg. A faint pain shot through my body and I winced.

“Yeah,” Elizabeth said, looking guilty. “Sorry about that.”

I tried to smile. “It’s okay. Not much I can do about it now.”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth said. The relief in her voice was obvious. “How do you feel, I mean, being home?”

I bit my lip. “I want to see my family,” I said softly. “I want to see my mother, and Steven.” I frowned as a sudden memory popped into my head. “You’re with Steven, aren’t you?”

Elizabeth made a face. “I don’t know.”
“She was,” Monica said, glancing over from the bed. “But something happened. They broke up.”

“You should try to make things right,” I said, reaching over and touching Elizabeth’s wrist. “I know you two liked each other a lot. Why not try to make up? I’m sure whatever it is that happened can be fixed.”

Elizabeth gave me an odd look. “I don’t know,” she said. She frowned. “I…Andrea, sorry, I just don’t get it. This sounds really weird coming from you.”

“Why?”

Elizabeth began gnawing on her lip, a habit I recognized from our high school years. “Because…I don’t know,” she said, looking to Monica for evident help. “Maybe she can explain better than I can.”

“Elizabeth’s confused because you had a thing for your own brother,” Monica said calmly, not looking up from the pad she was scribbling on. “You know, you do remember that, don’t you?”

“It was after the spirit possessed me,” I said softly. “I never meant to do anything like that, Elizabeth. I swear – I don’t know, I couldn’t control my own body!”

Elizabeth stared at me for a long time, until tears came to her eyes. She pulled me into a hug and squeezed me with surprising strength. By the time I pulled free, Elizabeth was sobbing.

“I’m so sorry,” Elizabeth said, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Andrea, god, I feel like such an idiot. I never would have guessed that.” She shook her head bitterly. “I can’t believe I was so stupid.”

“That spirit wanted me to make you – and everyone else in Jaffrey – very unhappy,” I said. I swallowed hard. A lump had started to form in my throat and I felt dangerously close to crying myself. “And keeping you from Steven was the only way to do that – at least, the only way that I could think of at the time.”

Elizabeth was silent. I wrapped my arms around myself and shuddered, almost unable to believe that I’d been such an awful person. I didn’t want to believe it – but no matter how much I tried to blame everything on the evil spirit of Prudence, it was still me. I’d done everything. Sure, I hadn’t been able to control myself at the time.

But it had still been my body. My voice – my movements.

And now, no matter how much I never wanted to go back to that evil in the woods, I knew I’d have to make things right.

“I want to help you,” I said, reaching out and taking Elizabeth’s hands. She shrank back and shook her head.

“If it’s too dangerous, you could—“

“Elizabeth,” Monica snapped. “She has to help us, and we know that, don’t we?” She looked at me. “Andrea, I know you want to make things right. And this is how you do it.” With a triumphant look on her face, she held up the notepad. I frowned – it was covered with weird squiggles and lines that I felt like I should recognize…but I didn’t.

“I don’t get it,” I said slowly. “What is that?”

“Don’t worry about it for now,” Monica said. “I’m just working on a plan, that’s all.”

“I feel so bad,” Elizabeth said, shaking her head. She sighed. “They really manipulated all of us.”

“Yes,” Monica said. There was a new edge in her voice, but she was back to hunching over her scribbles. “They did. Even me,” she added.

“I’m sorry to ask this,” I said. “But why did the two of you join? Why would you want to link up with such evil?” I shuddered as a cold chill ran through my body. “Why?”

Elizabeth glanced at Monica.

“They spirited me away,” Monica said. “And told me that they needed my help.” She set the notepad down on the floor and flopped onto her back, staring up at the ceiling as she spoke. “And I believed them. I thought they were right – everything made sense, they were able to manipulate things just as they wanted.”

“But what was the real reason? I’m still confused,” I said, feeling slow. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Monica shrugged. “I guess it was because I was with you when Prudence stole into your body,” she said. “Remember? That séance?”

“God, I wish I didn’t,” I said, burying my face in my hands. “I don’t like thinking about that.”

Monica laughed, but there was no humor in her voice. “Andrea, I hate to say this – but you have to be strong. That’s the only way we’re going to defeat this. You’re going to have to think about things that are a hell of a lot more unpleasant than that stupid séance.”

I shivered again.

“You can do it,” Elizabeth said encouragingly. “I promise you can, Andrea.” She looked into my eyes and I saw strength there that I’d never noticed before. “That’s the one good thing about all of this.”

“What?”

Elizabeth shrugged self-consciously. “Just that I learned things about myself that I probably never would’ve discovered.” She gave me a guilty look. “And I completely lost my appetite for love spells.”

“Love spells?” I couldn’t stop my eyebrows from shooting up like rockets. “What?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Monica said darkly. “Just trust Elizabeth, okay?” She sat up and turned to me. “Look, Andrea, I know we haven’t been the closest friends. But we have to work together now.”

“I know,” I said nervously.

“And I know you’re not my biggest fan – for good reason,” Monica added. “But we have to be a team, okay? You have to trust me, completely. If I tell you to do something, you have to do it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why you? Why not Elizabeth?”

“Because I’m stronger,” Monica said. She tossed her blonde hair. “Nothing meant by that, but I’ve been working with them for the longest.”

“It’s true,” Elizabeth said gently. “You have to listen to Monica, okay? Even if she tells you to do something that you’re afraid of.”

“I really don’t like the sound of this,” I said softly. “Why can’t we…I don’t know, just never go back? What’s going to happen?”

Monica climbed off the bed and walked slowly towards me. Her face was fixed with a serious expression and she came closer and closer until I was trembling nervously. Monica sat down, lowering herself down on her haunches. She put her hands on my shoulders and gripped hard.

“Close your eyes,” Monica said. “Close your eyes and concentrate on what I’m about to show you.”

Obediently, I closed my eyes. Monica’s grip tightened and she leaned in so close I could smell her vaguely powdery scent. Suddenly, everything went back. I shrieked and screamed with fear, trying to pull away from Monica as the scent of soot and gunpowder filled my nose.

Panic filed my body. I couldn’t move – something was pinning me to the wall. Even breathing was a struggle. The air was filled with smoke and my lungs burned and ached.

“Help!” I screamed. “Somebody, help me!”

That’s when I saw the fire. A massive blaze – burning so brightly that it stung my eyes. Flames licked high into the air, filling the charcoal-black night with a rage of blinding smoke.

“Help!” I screamed again, twisting and kicking at my invisible bonds.

Suddenly, whatever was holding me down disappeared and I collapsed, hitting the ground hard with my hands and my knees. The ground was rough gravel, cutting my palms and kneecaps through the thin material of my jeans. As quickly as I could, I scrambled to my feet and looked around me.

Everything was on fire. I screamed again when I realized where I stood – right in the middle of Jaffrey. Buildings turned to ash and soot before my eyes and I gasped in horror as windows exploded, blowing glass through the air like painful darts.

“Somebody, help me!” I screamed. “Monica! Elizabeth! Where are you?”

An evil laughter filled the air. The sound of it chilled me to the core. Despite the heat of the flames, I suddenly felt like I’d fallen into a special kind of arctic hell.

This is Hell, I realized, looking around. I’m in Hell.

All of my fears and terrors from childhood came rushing back, as powerful as a waterfall in my brain. I knew that no matter what happened, I would be here forever. Alone, trapped in the burning ruins of my once-beloved home.

“Please,” I whimpered. “Please, let me go. Please let me die.”

And just like that, it was gone. I was sitting on the floor of Monica’s bedroom, with my legs crossed under my body. Monica was leaning over my body, her hands still gripping my shoulders. I glanced around in a panic. Elizabeth was sitting there, looking at me with obvious concern in her eyes. And Monica had a fearful, intense look on her pointed features that I never could have imagined.

“What was that,” I whispered in a strangled cry. “What happened?”

“That was Jaffrey,” Monica said in a cold voice. “That was Jaffrey, if the coven is allowed to do what they will.”

“That’s what we have to stop,” Elizabeth added. To Monica, she said: “You’re scaring her! Take your hands off!”

The smell of soot and cinders still filled my nostrils and my heart was racing in my chest as Monica took her hands away.
“Sorry,” Monica said. She didn’t sound sorry. “But I wanted you to know. That’s what we’re up against.”

The fear and terror came rushing back to my heart and tears filled my eyes. “There’s no way we can defeat them,” I said, sniffling and shaking my head. “Don’t you understand? They’re too strong!”

“We have to try,” Monica said grimly. “That’s all we can do.”

“Why, though? Why would they want that?” I sniffled again. “I thought…I thought they were all about nature, I thought they wanted to preserve life, not destroy it.”

“They lied,” Monica said. She shook her head grimly. “They’re sick of living in hiding, Andrea. And the spirit of Prudence is powerful enough to let them take over the world. They want to control everything, they want to rule.”

“It’s scary,” I said softly. “I’m frightened.”

“Me, too,” Elizabeth said, looking sharply at Monica. “But this is our only chance.”

“How are we going to do it?”

“You’re going to let Prudence inside of your soul once again,” Monica said. “She’s the only thing that can help us.”
Gasping in horror, I staggered to my feet and looked down at Monica with my mouth hanging open.

“No! It’s too horrible,” I said. “I won’t let that happen!”

“You have to, Andrea,” Elizabeth said gently. “Monica’s strong enough to keep her in check.”

The tears in my eyes finally began streaming down my face as I vehemently shook my head. “No,” I said again. “I’m not doing that. I’m not letting her back in my body.”

“Andrea, you have to,” Monica said sternly. Elizabeth shot her a look but she didn’t back down. “I swear, I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“How can you promise that?” I sniffled. “How? She was inside of me for years,” I added, shaking my head. “I’m not going back to that! I’m not letting her ruin my life!”

Monica took my hand. “Andrea, if we can defeat the coven, we’ll release her spirit. That’s what she wants,” Monica said. “That’s what we’re going to promise her.”

“And what if…” I couldn’t quite bring myself to say ‘lose.’

“What if we can’t defeat them?” Monica raised an eyebrow. “Then we’re fucked,” she said blankly, shrugging. “We’re going to die anyway. We might as well die trying.”

I shuddered. I felt so tired – like I’d been awake for years with no rest. Then I remembered I had been awake for years, with little rest, and too much pain to think about.

“Please,” Monica said, more gently than before. “Andrea, I promise. We can do this together, okay?”

Elizabeth and Monica stared at me, waiting for an answer.

With a shaky exhale, I nodded my head. “Okay,” I said softly. “We can try.”

---

As soon as I said yes, I had to admit that I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Monica and Elizabeth told me to lie down and relax – Monica changed the sheets on her bed, and Elizabeth went downstairs to fix something to eat. I didn’t think I could sleep – the vision of burning Jaffrey was still fresh in my mind – but shockingly, as soon as I closed my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, it was dark outside. Monica and Elizabeth were gone – I heard their voices downstairs, quietly conspiring. It was almost funny that I felt like such an outsider. We were adults now, in our twenties. But something still made the dynamic of our threesome feel like high school all over again.

Except I never even had the chance to finish high school, I thought as I hauled myself out of bed. Monica had left a change of clothes for me and I pulled them on, wrapping myself tightly in a soft sweater before heading downstairs.

Monica and Elizabeth were sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over as they talked. Monica’s head snapped up right away as soon as she saw me.

“Hey,” Monica said in a guarded tone. “What’s up?”

“Sorry I slept for so long,” I said, yawning and rubbing my eyes.

“Here, have some pasta,” Elizabeth said. She handed me a bowl of spaghetti and red sauce, with parmesan on top. She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry it’s not more. Monica’s parents haven’t been here in ages, this was the only stuff in the pantry.”

“Where are they?”

Monica shrugged. “Who knows?”

I frowned.

“So the plan is to go back tomorrow,” Monica said. “We’ll all go together, and tell them that Elizabeth is going to offer herself up.”

“As the next you, basically,” Elizabeth said to me, frowning in distaste.

“Won’t that hurt you?”

Elizabeth shrugged.

“She should be strong enough to fight it off, whatever they do,” Monica said calmly.

“Can I…can I see my family? Before we go?”

Monica and Elizabeth exchanged a dark look.

“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said. “It might be too dangerous.”

“Too dangerous? Why?”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “Look, Andrea…I hate to say this,” she said quietly. “But I don’t know what your family would do if they saw you.”

“Why?” I frowned. “Because I’ve been gone for so long?”

“Not exactly.” Elizabeth cleared her throat. Monica looked like she was about to speak but Elizabeth held up her hand. “Let me do this one,” she said to Monica. “So…um, there were some side effects of your being taken and held for so long.”

“They think I’m dead,” I said flatly.

Elizabeth winced. “More than that,” she said. “Um, they’ve…sort of forgotten about you.”

Tears came rushing to my eyes and I blinked. “Forgot about me?”

“It’s not like that,” Elizabeth said quickly.

“It’s like you never existed,” Monica said. She looked at me. “You’d be a stranger to them.”

“And what if we win? What if I come back, and my family still doesn’t remember me?” A single tear rolled down my cheek. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t think that will happen,” Elizabeth said. “If we can break the spells – all of them,” she added sternly, glancing at Monica. “Everything should be back to normal.”

“Can’t I at least see my house? Can’t I look through the windows?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “Not yet,” she said. “After we get back, you can go home.”

I sank into a chair, the pasta in front of me long forgotten.

“You should really eat something,” Elizabeth said encouragingly. “You need to keep your strength up.”

I felt like rolling my eyes. I felt like grabbing the bowl of pasta and throwing it into the wall. I felt like doing anything other than listening to Elizabeth and Monica for another second.

Still, I dipped my fork and spoon into the pasta bowl and scooped some out, twining it around my fork and taking a bite. It was getting cold, but it wasn’t bad, and I forced myself to eat the whole bowl.

“Come on,” Monica said. “We’re going outside.”

“What for?” I frowned. “You said we’re not leaving until tomorrow.”

“We’re not leaving yet,” Monica said. “Just come on, follow me.”

Confused, I followed Monica and Elizabeth outside, to the edge of the woods behind Monica’s house. Monica took a knife with a funny-looking blade and held it out, as if offering it to the woods.

“Mother earth, we pray for your guidance,” Monica said in a low voice. She dipped and got down to her knees, kneeling on the wet ground and bowing her head. After a moment, Elizabeth did the same.

I stood there, frowning. It felt sacrilegious – like I was betraying my own Christian beliefs. But something inside of me knew that this was bigger now than anything I’d ever experienced.

“Mother earth,” I whispered, getting to my knees and bowing my head to the ground. “Please protect me. Please allow us to return safely home.”

Monica reached out and joined hands with Elizabeth me and, just lightly enough for me to feel the pressure of her fingers against mine.

This is it, I thought as I closed my eyes and listened to Monica’s low, toneless voice. This is the end.

Chapter Nine

Elizabeth

I didn’t sleep that night. Despite Monica wanting to wait for us to get our strength, I was feeling weaker than ever by the time the morning rolled around. Andrea and Monica were awake and downstairs by the time I climbed out of bed. Monica was making breakfast for us – “provisions,” she called it – and I watched dully as she wrapped three sandwiches in wax paper and tucked them inside a bag.

“It could take a long time to find the coven,” Monica told Andrea. “You’re not used to looking for it, but it only comes to those with the power.”

“I don’t have the power,” Andrea said, frowning.

Monica shrugged. “You’re going to have to try,” she said, shaking her head. “Just do what I do, okay?”

Andrea nodded, but her frown was deeper than ever.

We dressed in jeans and thick boots and sweaters, in a feeble attempt to ward off the spring chill in the air. As we left, I turned around and looked at Monica’s house for what I thought might be the last time. Please let us come home, I thought, glancing at Monica and Andrea. Please, please let us survive this.

As we walked into the woods, we stayed silent. Monica led the way with her eyes closed, trying to sense the magic of Henrik, Ligeia, and the other witches. And what of them, I wondered. Would they fight us, too? Or would they be relieved to be free of Henrik and Ligeia’s spellcraft?

“Ouch,” Andrea whined. “My feet are killing me.”

Monica turned around and held her finger up to her mouth. “Be quiet,” she hissed. “I can’t concentrate if you keep talking.”

Andrea pouted, but she shut up.

We walked on in silence. The only thing I could hear was the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. It’s strangely peaceful here, I thought, frowning at the idea. It was funny – in all the years I’d been involved with the coven, I’d never thought of it as anything even close to peaceful.

But maybe that was just because everything else had always been so turbulent.

We walked on, and on, and on. Eventually, Monica stopped and took out the sandwiches, passing them around. I was starting to get nervous – what if Andrea had been right, what if we’d never be able to find what we were looking for?
“We’re close,” Monica said, closing her eyes and leaning against the trunk of a tree. “I can feel it, can’t you?”

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that I was the wind in the air, the tiny hairs on my exposed arms, the shining sun overhead. Sure enough, there was a familiar warmth in the air. The buds on the trees were larger and the sun seemed closer than it had been we’d left.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “We’re almost there.”

“I can’t do this,” Andrea said in a panicked voice, dropping the rest of her sandwich on the ground. “I can’t do it!”

Monica grabbed Andrea by the shoulders and shook her. “You have to,” she said, glaring fiercely. “You have to do this!”
Andrea shook her head and cried out loudly in fear. The sound of Monica’s hand smacking her across the face echoed through the trees. Andrea gasped and held her face in shock, staring at Monica with her eyes wide.
“Sorry,” Monica said quietly. “But you can’t leave, Andrea. Remember the flames.”

Andrea shuddered and shivered. After a few seconds, she nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly. “Let’s go.”

Monica led the way. The woods were thinning and soon, we emerged at the familiar magical clearing. Ligeia was standing there, smiling coldly.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” she said, looking right at me. “For a moment, I did not think you would honor your promise.” She walked closer, inspecting Andrea closely. “Ah, the vessel,” she said. “You have brought her.”

I cleared my throat and stepped forward. “Ligeia, it’s going to be me. I’ll be the next protector of the soul of Prudence.”

Ligeia nodded approvingly. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, child,” she said. “Come, all three of you.”

My legs felt as heavy as lead as I walked forward. Ligeia led us through the clearing, past her series of huts, and into a small wooded area. She took my hands and led me to a tree. I could feel the soul of Prudence – still asleep, but vigilant all the same. Her heartbeat resonated in my chest and I shuddered, wondering if I’d ever be able to escape her.

Henrik appeared from behind a tree and smiled. “Ah, you have returned,” he said. “And Monica, child, you have come as well. I thought you missed your own world?”

Monica smiled. “I missed the coven,” she said, lying through her teeth. “I’ve found the real world is no longer to my liking.”

“I see,” Henrik said. He smiled and I shuddered at the cold gleam in his eyes. “Well, child, perhaps that will change very soon, as you know.”

“What is he talking about,” Andrea asked.

Everyone ignored her.

“I’m ready,” I said nervously.

Ligeia stepped closer and stripped my sweater. I shivered even though the air was no longer cold. Ligeia took her athame from her robes and held it to my chest, pointing the tip at my heart. I shuddered as the tip of the knife pierced my skin. It hurt, but I tried not to cry out as blood dripped down my chest, soaking my bra and stomach.

“Prudence Arrowsmith,” Ligeia called. “You will inhabit this woman.”

I closed my eyes, pretending to lean into the ritual. But I wasn’t going to let that bitch inside of me. Instead, I willed the protection of the earth, of the sun, of the moon and the sky. Keep me safe and whole, I prayed silently. Keep me free of Prudence.

Ligeia smiled. “It is complete, child,” she said.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you,” I said, looking down. “I am honored you have chosen me.”

“Yes, child, you have done very well,” Ligeia said.

I could barely keep from grinning in relief. You stupid witch, I thought, biting the inside of my cheeks so I wouldn’t smile. It didn’t work!

I glanced at Monica. She nodded. This is it, I thought as I stepped back. May the earth be on our side.

“I’m sorry, Andrea,” Monica said. Andrea barely had time to react as Monica grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Ligeia turned and spun in horror, crying out as Monica grabbed the athame from her hands and sliced Andrea across the chest.
“You will inhabit this woman!” Monica screamed. A loud wind blew through the woods and the sky darkened as a rush of purple smoke disappeared inside Andrea’s chest. Her eyes glowed bright for a second, then faded.

“What is the meaning of this?” Ligeia shrieked. “Henrik! Henrik! Something’s happening!”

“Shut up,” Monica growled. She darted towards Ligeia, clutching the athame. Ligeia’s blue eyes began to glow and Monica flew backwards through the air, her small body smacking against a tree and collapsing to the ground. She didn’t lose her grip on the athame, even as Ligeia fell upon her.

I grabbed Andrea’s arm. “Fight,” I growled to her face before shoving her towards Ligeia and Monica. The two women tussled, rolling on the ground, biting and scratching and fighting like cats. Monica was shrieking at the top of her lungs, thrashing under Ligeia’s grasp.

Ligeia wrestled the knife away and made a plunge towards Monica’s body, but Monica rolled out of the way. I ran towards them and grabbed Ligeia, trying to pull her away from Monica. Ligeia growled and spat, cursing under her breath. A sharp pain filled my body from head to toe but I tried to push past it, willing myself to move past the agony.

Ligeia’s face was twisted with anger and rage as she wrestled out of my grip, spitting and yowling. I tried to push her backwards but she was too strong, and I cried out in pain as she shoved me hard into the ground.
“Traitor,” Ligeia hissed. She raised the athame high in the air and I gasped and screamed as she plunged it downwards, into my chest.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. I’m dying, I thought as I looked down, expecting to see a torrent of blood gushing from my chest. Instead, Ligeia had vanished. I rolled over and got to my feet, brushing my hands off and looking around in a wild panic.

Andrea had Ligeia pinned to a tree.
“Sister,” she hissed in a strange voice, almost like a whisper. “The time has come for me to destroy you.”

For the first time, I saw fear spread across Ligeia’s face.

“You have come to kill me,” Ligeia said, narrowing her steely blue eyes. “You have always wanted to kill me.”

“And you have always wanted what was beyond your reach,” Andrea growled. She raised her hands to Ligeia’s throat and began to choke her. Ligeia was spitting and cursing under her breath in a strange language. Her face turned purple and blue as Andrea squeezed her hands around her neck.

Henrik came barreling into the small clearing, shaking with rage and anger. “You!” Henrik screamed, running towards me. “What have you done, child?” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me close, leering into my face angrily. “What have you wrought?”

“Let me go!” I shrieked. “You’re hurting me!”

“I’m going to kill you,” Henrik growled. “You and all of these bitches! What were you thinking!”

Henrik pushed me back to the ground, kicking me hard in the ribs. I cried out as pain shot through my body. Henrik stood over me, looking down and glaring. Suddenly I felt a burning sensation all over my skin, like I was being lit on fire. The sensation changed from irritating to pure agony and soon I was screaming and clutching at myself, desperate for anything to make the pain stop.

Please, please, I prayed silently. Please don’t let me die. Please let Andrea win, let her kill them both for all I care!

The pain intensified yet again and I yowled, sobbing uncontrollably as the pain paralyzed my whole frame.

“Wench,” Henrik growled.

“No!” I shrieked. “No!”

Just as I was ready to give up, to surrender myself to the pain, it vanished. I lay there, dazed.

“Elizabeth!” Andrea was shrieking my name. “Elizabeth, get up!”

I was still breathing hard, choking and coughing on the pain. Still, I managed to roll over and haul myself into a sitting position, moaning as the air rushed back into my lungs.

Henrik was lying on the ground, Ligeia’s athame sticking out of his chest. Andrea was staring down at him. I could still sense Prudence inside of her, but Andrea looked calm and collected.

Monica was a few feet away, binding Ligeia with leather cords.

“Give me that,” she said, jerking her head towards the athame handle sticking from Henrik’s chest. “We have to work quickly.”

My legs were as weak as jelly as I stepped forward and grabbed the athame, pulling it out of the gaping wound. Henrik’s eyes were still open but I could feel the life leaving him. The air was filled with a sour, musty smell as I passed the knife to Monica.

Monica stared at Ligeia for a long time before stabbing her directly in the chest. She grunted, moving the knife down, until I heard the crack of ribs.

“Help me,” Monica grunted. “I can’t do this on my own.”

Gritting my teeth, I stepped behind Monica and wrapped my arms around hers, gripping the knife under her hands and pulling it down. For a moment, the wound was a glistening slit of pink organs. Then the sides collapsed, and guts spilled from Ligeia’s body, as rank and foul as that of a freshly-shot deer.

“We have to build a fire,” Monica said, looking over her shoulder at Henrik. “He’s not dead yet.”

I shuddered. “I’ll do it,” I said. “Just keep watch.”

Glancing down, I almost shrieked. My clothes were soaked and stained with blood – and the wound on my chest was still gushing. I touched it and winced in pain, wiping my hands on my jeans. It didn’t matter – my jeans were covered in blood, too.

With Andrea’s help, we gathered enough kindling and sticks for a fire. Monica tossed a lighter from her pocket and I caught it, gently blowing on the wood until a thick grey column of smoke was rising to the heavens.
“Help me,” Monica grunted. She was kneeling over Henrik once again, sawing at his chest with the athame. The sight was enough to make me sick. Almost over, I thought as I forced myself to walk closer and kneel by the side of the nearly-dead man.

Using Ligeia’s athame, Monica and I cut Henrik’s heart from his body and tossed it on the fire. It smoldered and stunk of death, rot, and decay. But the flames were more powerful than the heart of an old warlock, and soon the heart was nothing but ashes.

“Andrea, watch the fire,” Monica said. Andrea was sitting there, frozen. She looked horrified.

“Andrea,” Monica snapped. “Listen!” She snapped her fingers in the air. “Watch the fire, okay?”

Andrea managed a nod of her head. I walked to Ligeia and grabbed her body. For such an old, frail woman, she was almost heavy and I winced as I carried her bleeding corpse to the flames. Setting her down on the ground, Monica and I cut out her heart and held it over the greedy flames.

“It’s over,” Monica said softly as she lowered the heart into the fire. “It’s finally over.”

Andrea wrapped her arms around her legs and began to shake. She seemed practically catatonic as Monica and I hauled the bodies of Henrik and Ligeia to the flames and burned them, filling the sky with an acrid smoke that stung my nose and mouth.

Monica held the athame in the flames until the tip was red-hot. She then laid it in the grass, wiping both sides clean of blood and grime.

“Andrea, come here,” Monica said. “We’re going to release the spirit of Prudence.”

Andrea got up and walked closer. She looked shell-shocked, horrified.

“I killed someone,” Andrea whispered.

“No,” Monica said sharply. “You didn’t kill anyone, you understand? It was Prudence,” she added. “Prudence is the only person strong enough to take Ligeia down. You did it,” she added. “I’m very proud of you.”

Andrea nodded, but she looked no less unhappy than she had before. At a gesture from Monica, she lay down on the grass and closed her eyes. Monica held the athame over her chest, pointed at her heart.

“I command the spirit of Prudence Arrowsmith to the afterlife,” Monica said solemnly, scratching the surface of Andrea’s skin with the blade of the knife. Andrea winced and screwed up her face, but didn’t try to push Monica away.

Beneath my feet, the ground began to rumble and shake. Terrified, I looked around. The trees were whipping and waving in the breeze, and a sudden gust blew the flames out. The sky darkened to an inky hue, but there was no sight of the moon or stars.

“I command you to leave!” Monica shouted, straining to make her voice heard above the wind. “I command you to be free, to leave! You are done here, Prudence Arrowsmith!”

A loud rumbling sound filled the air and I trembled as the ground beneath me shook harder than before. Andrea’s eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out as a wisp of silvery smoke emerged from her chest and floated high into the air.

Monica threw the athame down on the ground and I watched as it bounced over the grass. In the sky above us, thunder rumbled and bellowed.

And then, just like that, it was over. The sky returned to a normal blue shade, the grass stopped shaking and waving, the ground stopped shaking and moving beneath my feet. Andrea sat up and opened her eyes.

“It’s gone,” she said softly, looking down at the superficial wound on her chest. “It’s really gone!”

“I told you,” Monica said.

A rush of pure energy zoomed through me and I let out a wild whoop before wrapping my arms around Monica and holding her.

“I can’t believe it!” I exclaimed loudly. “I can’t believe we did it!”

Andrea climbed to her feet, grinning broadly. She threw her arms around Monica and me, hugging us tightly and dancing from side to side.

“It’s really over,” Andrea said. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but she was still smiling.

I closed my eyes and sighed, pulling away from my friends. “It’s done.” I shook my head and looked down at the grass. For once, it didn’t look like a magical place – it looked like a perfectly normal patch of grass, just like the back yard at my parents’ house.

“Monica?” Andrea asked softly. “Why aren’t you happy?”

“I am happy,” Monica said slowly. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw nothing but sadness and regret.

“Don’t tell me you’re regretting this,” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder and squeezing. “After all this?”

Monica held my gaze for a long time before turning to Andrea. “Andrea, I really am sorry about everything that’s happened to you,” she said. “It’s all my fault. It never should’ve happened.”

Andrea looked perplexed. “It’s okay,” she said. “I mean, I get it. Kind of,” she added, wrinkling her nose.

My heart lurched to the side and I stared at Monica. “Monica, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Monica hugged me tightly.

“Goodbye,” she whispered.

“What?” I pulled away, holding her at arm’s length. “No, this isn’t goodbye,” I said. “Don’t you get it? This is the beginning!”

Monica sighed softly. “Andrea, would you mind giving us a moment, please?”

Andrea looked confused, but she nodded and walked to the edge of the woods before lowering herself down and facing away.

“What’s going on?” My heart was thudding in my chest and I felt a stab of fear – real fear. My whole body was trembling from all of the stress and tension that we’d just undergone, and I couldn’t believe that now there was going to be something else to deal with, something new, something unexpected.

“I have to leave you now,” Monica said. She sighed. “I can’t leave this place. I’m bound here, Elizabeth.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I countered. “Of course you can leave! You’re not stuck here for the rest of your life! Henrik and Ligeia are gone!”

“I know. That’s why I have to stay.”

“I don’t get it,” I said, shaking my head. “Don’t you want to come back? What about…what about David?” I asked timidly. “Don’t you want to live in the real world?”

Monica sighed. “What I want and what I have to do are two very different things,” she said quietly. “The coven needs a new leader. They need a witch who isn’t hungry for power, who doesn’t want to control the world. They need someone who espouses all the values we were originally taught.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “And besides, how do you know that you’ll stay like that?” I shook my head like a dog shaking itself dry. “Monica, please!”

“I don’t know that I’ll stay the way I am now,” Monica said softly. “But I have to try. I have to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

“If it’s because you feel guilty, don’t,” I said. “Don’t even start, okay? You have no reason to feel bad. We fixed everything.”
“Yes,” Monica said. “I do feel guilt. I feel guilt for involving you, and Andrea, and for allowing myself to be misled and treated like a child by Henrik and Ligeia for so long.”

“But that’s no reason to isolate yourself forever.” By now, I couldn’t stop my chin from trembling. My eyes filled with tears and I glanced to the sky, trying to blink them away as quickly as I could.

“Elizabeth, you don’t understand.” Monica looked sadly into my eyes. “This isn’t something I’m doing to punish myself. I’m doing it because I have to, you understand?”

I bit my lip as hot tears began to fall down my face. “I can’t do it without you,” I said, wiping my eyes. “The seven years you were gone…I could barely get up in the morning! I missed you so much it hurt! And David…David knows he won’t ever get over you,” I said, sniffling and shaking my head. “He told me, years ago.”

“David will be fine,” Monica said. “The spells are gone. I have no power in the real world now, Elizabeth, I can’t do anything now that would affect you, David, or anyone else.”

I couldn’t stop myself from throwing my arms around Monica and holding her tightly.

“You can’t go,” I whimpered into her neck. By now, I was full-on ugly crying. Tears and snot were leaking down my face and I knew I was soaking Monica’s sweater. But I didn’t care. I held her tightly and sobbed into her neck. Monica put an arm around me and awkwardly patted my back, but she didn’t speak.

“Elizabeth,” Monica said gently after I’d been sobbing for about ten minutes. “You have to go back. You have to take Andrea home.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I growled, pulling away and wiping my face on my own sweater. By now, the blood was starting to dry but I felt like someone had reached inside my chest and cut my heart out, thrown my body on the flames to turn to ash.

“You’ll always be my best friend,” Monica said. “Besides, you think I won’t miss you?”

I buried my face in my hands, unable to believe this was really happening.

“Elizabeth, I’m sorry,” Monica said. “But you have to understand where I’m coming from, you know? You have to know how important this is.” She shook her head defiantly. “We can’t let anything happen to Jaffrey like that, not ever again.” She shuddered. “I’ll die before I let that happen.”

“I just…” I trailed off. “You realize this makes all of what we did pointless, right? All I did was want you to come back,” I said, a sob slipping into my speech. “I missed you so much.”

“And you were fine without me,” Monica said. She sighed heavily. “And I need to apologize to you, too.”

“You don’t,” I said, wiping my eyes and refusing to look at her. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Monica laughed dryly. “Yes, I do,” she said. “I’m sorry for ever interfering in your life. I thought…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “I thought I knew better, I thought I could figure out what you wanted and give it to you, and that way you wouldn’t mind my being gone. And I’m sorry for all of that. And I’m sorry about Andrea,” she added, lowering her voice so there was no chance of Andrea overhearing.

“She’ll be fine,” I said, shaking my head. “You know her.”

“No, I’m apologizing to you,” Monica said firmly. “I’m sorry that I….you know, made you do that, years ago,” Monica said. “And I’m sorry you had to watch me do what I did.”

I shuddered. “God, I’d almost forgotten about that.”

Monica smiled sadly. “I hope there comes a day where you really do forget about that,” she said. “But not me. I’ll remember it forever, for the rest of my life.”

I knew that Monica was right – that I should be taking Andrea home, making sure she wasn’t cut too deeply. But I couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving my best friend in the woods forever.

“It’s okay, Elizabeth,” Monica said, as if reading my mind. “I’ll be fine.”

With a heavy heart I hugged her one last time. “I love you,” I said. “You’ll always be my best friend.”

Monica nodded. “I know,” she said. She smiled sadly. “I love you, too.”

Then she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a burst of smoke.

As I walked back to collect Andrea, I couldn’t stop the sobs from coming harder than ever before.

Chapter Ten

Elizabeth

“Where’s Monica?” Andrea frowned. “Isn’t she coming?”

“No,” I said. “She’s not.”

“Why not?” Andrea wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “This place gives me the creeps. I want to go home.”

“That’s what we’re doing,” I said. I led Andrea out of the magical land of the coven, out of the clearing, until we were in the thick, cold woods. Monica’s backpack had a strange weight on my shoulders, and when I slung it down and unzipped it, I was shocked to see a huge canteen full of water, six more sandwiches, and some odd-looking brown bread.

“How did we get that?” Andrea frowned. “That’s not from her house.”

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. She’s still exactly the same naïve kid she used to be, I thought.

“You forget we just left an enchanted place,” I said. “But you’re right, I don’t know why she gave us so much.”

Andrea’s frown deepened. “So that was…real?”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “That was real.”

“I’m thirsty,” Andrea said. “Can I have the canteen?” When I passed it over, she unscrewed the top and peered inside. “Is this safe to drink?”

I shuddered, thinking of all the potions and horrors that Ligeia had fed me over the years. She’s gone, I thought. It still didn’t feel real to acknowledge.

“Yeah,” I said after a pause. “It’s safe.”

We walked on in silence, for hours. Darkness fell and I built a fire. We ate some of the sandwiches and curled up on the hard ground, close together for warmth. The night passed slowly – I slept in fitful stretches, awakened at the slightest sound or chirp. Andrea snoozed like a child – she even snored.

In the morning, I was tired and dehydrated and exhausted, but I made us push on. We trudged through the woods, searching for any sign of home.

“I think we’re lost,” Andrea kept saying, about once every fifteen minutes. “Why haven’t we gotten home yet? It didn’t take this long before.”

“I think Monica is showing us how far the coven truly is from home,” I said slowly. “I never thought about it before.”
“You mean, we only found it by…magic before?”

I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. I shivered. “And I have a feeling we won’t ever be able to find it again.”

“Good,” Andrea said. “Not like I’d ever want to go back.” She stretched and yawned.

Another night began to fall. Like the previous night, I built a fire. But this night, I was so tired that I collapsed and slept like a rock all night long. In the morning, my body was stiff and achy. I groaned when I ran a hand through my greasy hair, knotting it into a bun at the back of my neck.

We walked for hours in silence. Occasionally, Andrea would ask about what happened to Monica, and I found myself unable to answer without starting to cry. Now that we’d left, I felt the absence of her presence so strongly that it was like a physical pain. Maybe it didn’t matter what guys we wanted when we were younger, I thought as I trudged on through the woods. Maybe Monica and I were soulmates. After all, we’re the ones who went through all of that stuff together.

I shuddered.

“What’s wrong?” Andrea asked.

For a moment, I debated telling her. But as much as Andrea had grown on me over the past few days, I found myself unable to put how I was feeling into words.

“Nothing,” I lied. “Look, the woods are thinning. We’re almost home.”

By the time we stumbled out of the woods and into Monica’s parents’ backyard, I was so tired that I could barely stand. But Andrea’s shriek brought me crashing down into the real world.

“Oh my god, the house!”

When I looked up, I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands. Monica’s parents’ house looked like it had been abandoned for hundreds of years. The white paint was flaking off the wood in giant chunks and the back porch was sagging and swaying as if giants had sat upon it. Some of the windows were broken, and the intact ones were missing their screens.

“What happened?” Andrea asked as we stepped forward in surprise. “Elizabeth, what happened?!” Her voice was tinged with panic and shock.

“I don’t know,” I said, running my hand over the old wood. “I…I really don’t.”

Andrea peered up at me, her round face split with a frown. “How long have we been gone?”

“I don’t think it’s that,” I said softly. “I think Monica must have done something…I don’t know what, to make sure everyone forgets about her.”

“I’m never going to forget her,” Andrea said.

I almost laughed. Yeah, I wouldn’t forget someone who stabbed me in the chest, either, I thought. Guilt seared my brain.

“I know,” I said, putting a hand on Andrea’s back. “I won’t forget her, either.”

“Can I go home now?”

“We both can.”

Andrea sighed. “Elizabeth, can you take me to see Steven? I don’t care if he doesn’t know me. I just…I really want to see him, I have some things to say.”

An image popped into my head of teenaged Andrea and Steven, flirting like lovers. It sent a lingering taste of disgust into my mouth, but I shook my head until it was gone. That’s all over, I thought, almost with a touch of sadness. Everything is different now.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll drive you.”

Andrea and I made plans to meet up later in the day. She wanted to go home and see her parents, and I was dying for a shower. When I let myself into my parents’ house, Mom was standing in the kitchen, just like old times.

“You were gone for a week! I thought you’d gone back home, but your car was still here. We had to move it, honey, I’m sorry,” Mom said in an apologetic tone. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I glanced down at my muddy, torn, and soiled clothes. “I went camping in the woods behind Monica’s house.”

“Who?”

“Um, never mind. Forget it, I’m going upstairs to shower.”

“You want anything to eat?”

My stomach rumbled and I nodded. “I can make it, though, it’s okay.”

Mom nodded. “How much longer do you think you’re going to be staying?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I’d be gone,” I said. “I just…I wanted some time alone.”

Mom nodded. “Okay, honey,” she said. “You go clean up, I’ll be down here.”

Taking a shower felt like a baptism. I stood under the spray for so long that the hot water turned icy and every inch of my skin was pruned. When I got out, I put on clean clothes and went downstairs with my wet hair hanging in my face. As strange as it sounded, I was almost nervous about seeing Steven again. What would it be like? I could hardly remember him before Monica’s spell.

And would he remember? Or would I have to lie, and just make something up? I couldn’t bear to tell him everything: the unbearable clinginess, the way I’d stayed because I had no choice.

And then there was Andrea. Would Steven remember her? Or would I spend hours comforting her instead?

“I’m going out for a while,” I told my mom as I made myself a sandwich. “I’ll probably be back before dinner, but don’t wait up for me.”

Mom made a face. “That’s fine,” she said. “Honey, you know it’s fine if you stay, but a little more regularity might be nice.”

“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry. I promise, it won’t happen again. I won’t just disappear for a week without letting you know.”

“It’s okay if you do, honey, just call next time.”

I forced a smile. “Trust me, there won’t be a next time.”

I could tell Mom didn’t believe me, but it didn’t matter. I was never going back to the coven. I was never going into the woods, to a magical place where the time passes so much differently.

Andrea showed up just as I was finished eating. We got in my car and she fumbled with the radio, changing the station every third seconds. She kept shaking her knee, and I knew she was nervous.

“I’m moving out of this place,” I said.

“Oh, Elizabeth, why?” Andrea made a face. “You and my brother should get back together. He always really liked you,” she added.

I sighed. “I know. It’s not about that.”

“Then, what?”

“We’ve been together for almost seven years,” I said softly, steering the car onto the highway and speeding up. “We’ve never had a chance to really see ourselves without each other, you know? And I don’t really like that idea.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe we can be friends or something in the future,” I said. “I just don’t have romantic feelings for your brother anymore.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry about me, though,” I said, desperately hoping to change the subject. “Are you okay? Are you nervous?”

Andrea shrugged. “Yeah,” she said. “My parents were happy to see me. But you told me Steven might not remember.”

I sighed with relief. “If your parents remembered you, that means he will, too.”

Andrea fell silent. The traffic was heavy and it took longer than expected to get to the house I used to call home. When I pulled into the driveway, my heart started to pound. Both Steven and Karen were home, judging by their cars, and I had no desire for a confrontation with either of them.

I owe this to Andrea, I told myself as I climbed out of the car and shut the door. She deserves this.

Even though I knew it was all over, I couldn’t shake the sense of guilt I felt about Andrea. Somehow, I knew that I’d feel it forever.

“I don’t know if I should knock or not,” I said awkwardly, looking at the front door. Just as Andrea was about to speak, the door swung open.

Steven stood there, looking both different and so familiar that it almost hurt to look at him. His dirty-blonde hair was pushed away from his forehead, and his dark blue eyes were concerned and soft.

“Hi,” I said shyly.

Andrea smiled. I watched as she stepped forward, tears glistening in her eyes. “Hi, Steven,” Andrea said.

Steven grinned. I stepped to the side and he wrapped his arms around Andrea, pulling her into a close hug. She kissed his cheek and I felt an old flicker of unease. That’s over now, I told myself firmly.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Steven said. “Wow, it’s great to see you.”

Andrea nodded, still smiling. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry it’s been so long,” she said. “I’ve been away for a long time.”

Steven nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

The three of us stood there awkwardly for a minute. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and forced a smile.

“Can we come in?” I asked.

“Oh! Yeah,” Steven said. He stepped back awkwardly, glancing down. It was strange – I’d grown so used to his eyes on me all the time that it felt odd being there without his gaze fixed on me.

Andrea and I followed Steven inside. Thankfully, there was no sign of Karen.

“Karen’s out,” Steven said, looking up at me. I felt a flash of fear – was the spell still working after all? But then he swallowed and gave me an awkward look. “I think we should talk later,” Steven said, too quiet for Andrea to hear. “Is that okay?”

I nodded. “I’m…going upstairs for a while. I should get some more of my stuff together.”

“Yeah, okay.”

I left Steven and Andrea together in the kitchen while I walked up the familiar stairs and into the bedroom. Seeing my things strewn around the room was like a punch in the gut. The sheets had been washed, but it was much more cluttered than I knew Steven liked. I frowned at the sight of four empty beer bottles on the nightstand before sweeping them into the trash.

I pulled the rest of my clothes out of the dressed and folded them, setting them down at the edge of the bed. I’d barely been working for more than a few minutes when Steven’s head appeared in the doorway.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m making something to eat – Andrea’s really hungry – you want anything?”

I licked my lips and shook my head. “No,” I said. “I’m fine, thanks.”

Steven stepped forward. “Look, I’m sorry,” he said. He put a hand to his forehead and shook his head, looking confused. “I…I feel like I should apologize for something.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said. “You…you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Steven chuckled. “This is going to sound crazy, but I feel like I’ve been in some kind of really weird dream, and it’s been going on for years.” He frowned, creasing his tanned forehead. “I can barely remember anything. Karen told me we were engaged, but that she left.”

“She’s right,” I said. My heart sank – this was the exact conversation I’d been dreading.

“Why?”

“Steven, I…I just don’t think we’re right for each other,” I said slowly. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to get married.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Steven said. He shook his head again. “I feel like…I feel like I was bad to you, somehow, I just wish I could fucking remember,” he added. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“You’re not losing your mind,” I said. “Trust me, I promise.”

“Look, maybe you’re right about us not getting married, but I really want another chance,” Steven said. “Can I have that? Do I even deserve it?”

“I’m sorry,” I said awkwardly. I sat down at the edge of the bed, spilling my clothes onto the floor. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea. Maybe we can be friends, someday.”

Steven winced. “I didn’t know people actually said that in real life.”

I forced a dry laugh. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I really am. I just…we were together for so long, it’s scary. I know. But I really think we shouldn’t be together anymore.”

Steven sighed. “Okay,” he said. “You want help with this?” He gestured around. “Getting your stuff, I mean?”
“I’m fine, really,” I said. “You should go talk to your sister. She really missed you.”

Steven nodded. “I missed her,” he said. “At least, I feel like I did. Does that sound crazy?”

“Not comparatively.”
Steven held out his hand. “Shake?”

I shook my head and got up from the bed, leaning over and lightly hugging him with one arm.

“Good luck,” I said. “I really mean that.”

Steven nodded sadly. “I know,” he said. “I really do.”

Steven started down the stairs and I took one last look around our room. For the first time in what felt like my whole life, I was finally excited for the future.

Epilogue

Elizabeth – One Year Later

God damnit, he’s so late, I thought, looking down at my phone to check the time. Is he going to stand me up?

Just as the waitress came by with a second glass of wine, he appeared. Standing there in a black jacket, with his dark hair flopping into his eyes. When he saw me, the corner of his mouth lifted in half of a sardonic smile.

“Hey,” David said. “Sorry, there was traffic.”

I nodded. “It’s not a big deal,” I said quickly. “This is only my second glass.”

David snickered. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, sending a shiver through my whole body. Then he sat on the opposite side of the booth.

“Maybe I should’ve been later,” he said dryly. “You get pretty fun after wine.”

I rolled my eyes. “You would say that,” I said, picking my glass up and taking a sip.

“I missed you a lot,” David said. “It’s been a long time.”

“A year that felt like a decade,” I said, groaning. “I just moved here a month ago and it feels like it happened last night.

“You like it so far?”

“Yeah, I think so,” I said, looking out the window. “Boston is nice. It’s…different from home.”

David laughed. “That’s a good thing,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s one of the only places I can tolerate.”
“So no plans to go back abroad?”
David shook his head. “Not right now.”

Hearing him say that felt better than it should have.

“You probably want to know why I called you,” I said slowly, looking down and running my finger around the rim of my wineglass. Suddenly, I regretted ordering a glass before David had arrived. The alcohol was making me nervous and awkward, and I felt like my cheeks were flaming hot.

“I think I know.”

I looked up. “Yeah?”

David nodded. “Yeah.”

“You’re not gonna make me say, are you?” I laughed nervously.

David reached across the table and took my hand. His fingers were ice-cold, but a warm sensation slid up my arm and into my chest, making me shiver.

“Elizabeth, you know I’ve had feelings for you a long time,” David said in a low voice. The way he said my name made me shiver. “But something was holding me back.”

“I know.” I nodded. “I know. I…I felt the same way,” I admitted.

“I want to be with you,” David said. “I’m…I’m sorry it took this long.”

I laughed shortly. “I feel like I can’t be without you,” I said. “And I don’t know what it is – I’ve felt like that for a long time, since before I saw you overseas.”

David nodded. “I know.”

“And you don’t think…whatever it was is going to hold you back anymore?”

David shook his head. “No,” he said. “I felt loyalty to Monica for a long time. I still do,” he added, looking right into my eyes. “And I’ll always…I don’t know, be grateful to her. She was one of the first people who didn’t look at me like a delinquent.”

“She was one of only people who treated me like I was actually interesting,” I said. A lump was forming in my throat and I forced myself to swallow it, send it back down to my stomach where it belonged. “I miss her every day, David. But I think she would want us to be happy.”

“We won’t ever forget her,” David said. “But something changed – I dunno, a year ago, maybe. It was like I realized that I could still be happy. I mean, I wasn’t happy.” He squeezed my hand. “But I think we could be happy together.”

“I think this is the only way things can be from now on,” I said quietly. “I’m sick of waiting for things to get better without doing anything about it.”

“Hey, you’ve done a lot,” David said. He wrinkled his nose. “You and Steven split up, you moved to Boston, you know. You’re doing really well.”

I shrugged. “I feel like all of my success now is owed to Monica,” I said softly. “I feel like I owe her everything.”
“You don’t owe her everything,” David said. “Just…some things.”

“I never would’ve met you if it hadn’t been for her.”

David nodded. “I know. I think about that sometimes. Does that make me a bad person?”

I shook my head. “No,” I said softly. “It doesn’t.”

The waitress came back and there was a short, awkward dialogue between her and David. When she’d left again, David got up and slid into the booth next to me. He put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I closed my eyes and nestled my head on his shoulder, inhaling his musk. Happiness shot through me. It wasn’t electric – although there was lust there, too – but it was content, and fulfilling. Like I’d somehow found the one thing I’d always wanted.

“I still miss her,” I said softly without opening my eyes. “I think about her all the time.”

“Whatever happened to her parents? You hear from them?”

Monica’s house flashed back to me – the way it had looked a year ago, practically in ruin.

“No,” I said softly. “I don’t know. My mom told me someone bought their old house and tore most of it down. She doesn’t remember, though. Most people don’t – it’s like the family just disappeared.”

David slid his fingers under my chin and tilted my head up. “Hey,” he said. “I think we both know they didn’t disappear.”

I shuddered. “I know.”

David kissed me gently and I snuggled closer, putting my hand out to meet his on my shoulder.

“You wanna get out of here?”

“Yeah,” I said softly.

“Your place? Mine?”

I bit my lip and frowned. “This is going to sound nuts,” I said softly. “But part of me wants to go back to Jaffrey. Just for an hour or so,” I added. “If you don’t want to come, it’s okay.”

David nodded. “Nah, it’s fine,” he said. “I’ll come.” He smiled wryly. “I feel like I’ve had enough of being apart from you.”

I smiled so widely that my cheeks ached. “I know just what you mean,” I said quietly.

Three hours later, David and I were climbing out of his car and crossing the yard of Monica's old house. My mom had been right – most of the house was gone, and from what I could tell, construction had halted.

“It’s been a year since I’ve been back here,” I said, closing my eyes and inhaling the air. It smelled exactly the same. “I feel like I’m a kid again.”

“Oh, god, don’t say that,” David said. He twisted his mouth into a smirk. “I hated being a kid.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know,” I said. “I think you probably came out of the womb at thirty.”

David snickered. “Hey,” he said. “I’m only twenty-four, thanks for that.”

I stuck my tongue out. David wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. We stood there for a moment, holding each other. Then I took his hand and led him to the edge of the yard, where the woods began.
“What’re you doing?” David asked.

I didn’t reply. Pulling the athame out of my bag, I knelt down on the ground and gently kissed the blade.

“Thank you,” I said softly, closing my eyes and picturing Monica’s face. “For everything.”

There was no answer. The wind gently blew through the trees and ruffled my hair. I held onto the athame for another moment, then carefully set it down on the ground.

I’ll never forget you, I thought. A lump swelled in my throat and I blinked back a few tears. I couldn’t explain it, but somehow I had a feeling that wherever Monica was, she was doing well.

Standing up, I wiped my hands on my jeans and turned to David.

“I’m ready.”
David raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

Stepping closer, I put my hand in his and squeezed. A strong feeling of love welled up in my chest. With my free hand, I wiped the few remaining tears from my eyes.

“I’m ready to go home.”

THE END