Layla knew she couldn’t keep driving aimlessly forever. She’d have to think of an actual plan at some point. For now, though, she just kept making turns at random, feeling sorry for herself. She figured she was entitled.

She didn’t have any friends, so that option was out. Her writing and drawings were her friends. Too bad they couldn’t offer her a place to stay. For perhaps the millionth time, she wondered about her father. All her mother had told her was that he’d left before she was born. Layla had tried to find him, but considering that her mother wouldn’t tell her anything about him, it had been a pretty hopeless search.

She didn’t have any family on her mother’s side, either. Layla had no one. She felt shocked at the realization. Of course, she’d known she didn’t have friends or family, but it had never really hit her like it was hitting her now. So, her mom was right. She was just a weirdo. Everyone had support systems, people who could help in an emergency. Only Layla couldn’t seem to manage to set up something so basic.

Her hands clenched the steering wheel, despair and self-pity having given way to anger now. She hated this. She hated being helpless to the whims of others—first her boss, then her mother. She just wanted a normal life with people who loved her. Was that so much to ask?

All her life, her mother had told her she was worthless, and Layla had lived up to that. For a while, some small voice inside her had kept telling her that she was worth something, that her mother was wrong, but the voice had long ago been smothered after years and years of being beaten down.

Layla’s hands shook on the steering wheel as she fumed. Other people got to be happy. Other people weren’t cursed with bad luck that followed them around like a shadow. Why not her?

It took a few minutes for Layla to realize that the shaking she felt wasn’t purely her own anger. The car itself was shuddering and making an ugly choking noise. She slowed down just as smoke started to come from under the hood.

Without warning, the engine cut out. Layla used her momentum to get the car to the side of the road and then warily pulled up the hand break. Wonderful. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.

She went around to the front and tried to open the hood, but it was so hot that she burned her hand, yelping and jerking back with her hand left throbbing. Things just got better and better, didn’t they?

She didn’t have any ice, so she settled for waving her hand around in the cool air. It didn’t help much. Layla went to the trunk and grabbed a spare jacket, wrapping it around her other hand and finally managing to open the still smoking hood. She coughed and stood back until the worst of the smoke had cleared. Then Layla peered down into the engine, but she didn’t know anything about cars. Obviously something was wrong, but for all she knew, she could be staring at a perfectly good engine or a perfectly trashed one.

Her hand throbbed painfully as she stood there, wondering why she’d bothered. Sure, she’d exposed the engine, but she was no closer to fixing it than she’d been before managing to pry it open.

She’d have to call a mechanic in the morning, but how much would that cost? Her meager savings seemed to be dwindling before her eyes. One thing was certain, though; she knew she should just stay in the car since nothing was getting fixed tonight.

For a while, she sat staring blankly out the window. But she didn’t want to sit still. Moving had given her a sense of purpose, albeit an illusion of one. Layla got out and locked the door. She’d just keep walking. She could send someone back for the car later. This probably wasn’t the best idea, but she couldn’t stand the idea of just sitting there for hours.

The brisk walk seemed to help. Layla enjoyed the fresh air on her face and the feeling of finally being active—so much so that she’d been walking for about half an hour before she started to notice her surroundings. Looking around at the dilapidated buildings, she wondered where she was and berated herself for not keeping better track of her path. This didn’t look like a good neighborhood.

Layla’s mind was suddenly full of muggings and criminals lying in wait. She was a perfect target here. Abruptly, she turned around and started heading back to her car. With any luck, she’d get to her car and lock herself in without encountering anyone.

Of course, Layla should have known better by now than to rely on her luck.

“Hey, babe.”

Layla almost groaned aloud. She knew that voice. It was the voice of someone who had had too much to drink and was intent on causing trouble. She’d heard it enough in The Poker House to know that it was bad news, too—especially when she was alone and vulnerable.

She glanced over her shoulder to see five guys, only a little older than her.

“Why not come join us?” one of them called, and she recognized his voice as the one that had first called out to her.

She turned around and picked up her pace. The best thing to do was ignore them. They’d probably leave her alone.

The men started laughing as she sped up. She glanced over her shoulder again to see them following her.

“Wait up, beautiful!”

Another glance showed Layla they were catching up to her. She couldn’t go any faster than she was without running, however, and something told her that running would be a mistake. Running was what prey would do, and nothing got a predator into the chase like its prey bolting away in fear.

Layla scanned the street ahead of her, desperately searching for her car. Was she even going in the right direction? Would she be safe locked in it? She didn’t know how drunk these guys were or how determined they would be to get to her. Her car wasn’t anything special. A well-aimed rock would break through the window.

Layla searched her pockets as she walked, trying to find anything she could use as a weapon. She had pepper spray, but it was in her car. Once again, she cursed her foolishness. The guys behind her were catcalling and jeering, egging her on. She’d never been in a situation like this before. Could she hide somewhere and hope they passed her? There was a dark alley coming up—maybe she could slip into it without them noticing? Of course, if they did notice, then she’d be in more trouble. She’d be trapped. If she could get around a corner and then hide while she was out of their line of sight, maybe she’d have a chance...

Layla was walking so fast now she was practically running. She couldn’t help it.

That corner. About twenty yards ahead. She’d make that corner and find somewhere to hide. These guys were too drunk to conduct a proper search. At least, she hoped they were.

The corner came, and Layla dashed around it. Her eyes flicked frantically, looking for anywhere to hide. The best option was a deserted driveway. She ran into it and backed into the shadows. She could hear the drunken guys calling out for her as she pressed herself tightly against the wall. She wished she’d taken self-defense classes like some girls her age did. Too late for that now.

Apparently, the guys weren’t quite as drunk as she’d thought. They rounded the corner and began searching. Unfortunately, there were only so many places to hide along this short street. To Layla’s dismay, one of them headed straight for the dark driveway she was in.

She looked around for anything to fight with—a rock, even—but there was nothing. She didn’t even know if he’d seen her or if he was just checking. If she stayed far enough back, maybe he’d miss her?

“There you are!” He laughed uproariously as he saw her. “No need to hide…”

Layla’s limbs abruptly unfroze as she broke into a panicked run for the street. She felt his hand snatch at her arm, but she pulled out of his grip. She was running wildly, not looking where she was going, and she only stopped just in time to prevent herself from running straight into the rest of the group. She tried to dart away, but they were spread out, ready to catch her. Too late, she realized she was doing exactly what they’d wanted; she was acting like prey, giving them the thrill of the chase.

A squealing sound and headlights suddenly spun all of them around. There was a blue Toyota screeching toward them.

Layla had never been so grateful to see a car in her life. The men scattered as it came to a halt exactly where they had been standing only moments before. It was now in between them and Layla, and she wanted to cry with relief.

But Layla’s sense of safety dimmed when four young women got out. None of them looked like they would be any better in a fight than she would. Still, she guessed there was safety in numbers. If they decided to risk themselves to help her, that was.

The one standing in front, who looked like the leader of the four, appeared to be only a few years older than Layla. Her silvery-blonde hair hung around her face like a halo, and Layla got a glimpse of intense hazel eyes. The confidence brimming from her was infectious, and Layla breathed a bit easier.

“You should leave before you get hurt,” the silvery-haired leader said. The men snorted and began whispering to each other in response.

The four girls moved closer together, and Layla couldn’t see what they were doing, facing their backs as she was. And perhaps Layla was being confused by the dark, but whatever they were showing the men seemed to be scaring them. In fact, Layla had no idea what the four women could be doing to bring such looks of fear to those previously smug faces.

She shaded her eyes with a hand as a bright flash of light flared out. When her vision cleared again, the men were running. Layla couldn’t believe it. What on earth had scared them so badly? The only option was the four women.

Knowing this, she backed up a few steps when they turned to face her. The hair on her arms was standing on end, and the air felt different, almost magnetically charged. She didn’t know what was happening, but it felt wrong—and these women were at the center of it. She wondered if she’d have been better off dealing with the men. And yet, it didn’t look like they meant to threaten her.

Fear and confusion kept her paralyzed, unable to run. What had happened?

“Can we give you a ride?”

Layla opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The woman with the silvery hair was looking questioningly at her. Layla forced herself to shake her head jerkily.

“Come on,” another woman cajoled. This one looked older, maybe in her thirties, and had dark skin and sharp features.

“I’m fine, really,” Layla answered. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she realized that something unnatural had just taken place. She’d be safest just going back to her car and waiting for morning.

“It’s so good to see another sister,” the leader said. “We’d love to chat. I’m Sophie.”

“I’m Layla,” she responded automatically. Should I have told her my name?

“This is Damaris, Lizeth, and Rose.”

The older woman, Damaris, smiled at Layla. At her side, Lizeth had pale skin, red hair, and green eyes, and looked strangely excited to see Layla, as though they were long lost friends. Rose looked like she was in her mid-twenties, also with hazel eyes. The combination of her full figure and long brown hair made her look alluring; Layla imagined she had men lining up to date her.

“We’re not here to hurt you. We chased away those men,” Damaris pointed out. “This isn’t a good neighborhood, so you really should let us give you a lift.”

She was certainly right about it not being a good neighborhood. And they had chased the men away, but Layla still didn’t understand how, and she was reluctant to get into a car with strangers when the immediate danger seemed to have passed.

“That lot will be back,” Rose told her, as though reading her mind. “There are plenty of their type around here. Believe me, you don’t want to be alone and without transport if you run into them again.”

What they were saying made sense, but Layla still hesitated. She still didn’t have any real reason to trust them—at least, not one that made sense. .

“How…how do I know I can trust you?”

“Of course you can trust us.” Lizeth’s smile was warm and reassuring; she seemed happy to have gotten Layla talking.

“The thing is, I’m not exactly in a trusting mood at the moment.”

All four of them frowned in a way that made Layla step back—why would that surprise them?

“We’re all sisters here,” Sophie said. “We would never hurt you.”

Layla didn’t know what to say to that. One thing she knew for sure was that these women weren’t her sisters. Was this some weird cultural thing? Were they part of a cult that considered everyone family?

“Thanks so much for your help and the offer, but I’m really okay. I think I’ll just go back to my car now.”

She turned to leave, but Lizeth’s voice stopped her. “Your car is the other way.”

Layla nearly stopped breathing. How did they know that? Had they been following her? Perhaps they’d staged the whole rescue thing to get her to trust them? She started walking away, willing herself once again not to run.

She could hear murmured discussion behind her, and then a door opened. Sophie jogged out in front of her, holding her hands up.

“Come on, seriously, you do not want to be walking around here alone—especially at night. Look, I’ll give you my phone. Dial 911 and keep your finger on the call button. If any of us makes a hostile move, you can call the police in a matter of moments.”

Layla hesitated. It was a good offer, and maybe Sophie and the others were right about it being safer to go with them than to wander around here.

Finally, she nodded and followed Sophie back to the car, clutching the other girl’s cell phone. Still, she hesitated before getting in. “What was that flash of light?” she asked.

They all laughed pleasantly, as though she’d told the funniest joke, and Layla’s guard went up again. They thought what had happened was funny?

When Layla’s expression didn’t loosen, and she remained waiting for an answer, they sobered. “You…you don’t know?” Rose asked hesitantly.

Layla stared back at her for a moment and then shook her head in frustration. “Why on earth would I know? I have no idea how you chased those guys off!”

The other three all looked at Sophie, who was looking grave and confused all at once.

“Get in the car, Layla. We’ll explain everything, I promise.”

Layla was getting a seriously weird feeling about this. These women weren’t normal, she could tell, and now it seemed like they thought she was part of whatever they were mixed up in. They’d called her sister.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re into, but I think you should just leave me alone. I won’t tell anyone what I saw. Hell, I don’t even know what I saw.”

She turned to leave, but Sophie’s voice hauled her up short. “You’re eighteen, right? Just had your birthday recently, and ever since then, funny things have been happening around you?”

Layla spun around. “Who are you people? Have you been stalking me?”

“I haven’t even heard of this in a long time,” Damaris murmured. “I thought no one did it anymore! What could have happened?”

Layla stared at her, trying to process the comments. What the hell is going on?

“That doesn’t matter now,” Rose said, her eyes fixed on Layla, speaking as if Layla weren’t right there to hear her. “Let’s just get her out of here, somewhere where we can explain.”

Rose suddenly flinched then, and Damaris threw a hand up in front of her. A small explosion seemed to go off in mid-air, and Layla screamed.

“What are you doing?” Rose shouted angrily, advancing on Layla.

“She can’t help it,” Lizeth said, grabbing Rose and pulling her back. “If she really doesn’t know… remember how hard it was for all of us at first, learning to control it? She has no idea what’s happening!”

Layla shook her head, recovering from the strange explosion she’d just witnessed. Even as she kept listening to the four women, she stepped backward slightly and then again.

“Lucky Damaris has such good reflexes,” Sophie said wryly, glancing at Rose’s outraged face. Rose seemed to be calming down slowly but took another moment to nod and meet Layla’s eyes.

“Of course, you’re right. Sorry, Layla. It’s just an instinct, when someone attacks you…”

“I didn’t attack you!” Layla stepped forward, trying to figure out what to say. If these women thought she was going to attack them, their friendliness would probably vanish pretty fast.

“It’s not your fault,” Damaris said quickly. “You can’t control it. Did you think everything that’s been happening was just bad luck? Your emotions are tied in. If we hadn’t come along, you probably would have dealt with those men on your own… though they may have had to be collected in pieces. Maybe it’s a good thing we found you first.”

Layla still wanted to run, but the fact that these women seemed to know all about her was making it harder to turn her back—even if they weren’t making much sense. She had thought it was just bad luck, but they were right that everything had started just after her eighteenth birthday. Maybe they knew something and could help her. She couldn’t deny that something she couldn’t explain had happened to scare those men, and it wasn’t like the things happening around her had exactly made sense lately.

After all, she thought, it wouldn’t do her any good to get another job, only to be fired the next day for blowing up a kitchen.

Hoping she wouldn’t regret it, Layla made her decision. She dialed 911 and hovered her thumb over the call button, ready to press it at the slightest provocation.

“Okay, I’ll come with you,” she said. “Just to my car…though I’m not sure where it is. I think I’m a little lost.”

“I can find it,” Lizeth said confidently. “I’m good at locating things.”

The others grinned, again as though there was some inside joke Layla was missing. Rose slid in so that Layla could get in next to her. Layla closed the car door, but kept her hand on the handle as Sophie put the car into gear.

Lizeth had her eyes closed now and seemed to be focusing intently on something. Layla could have sworn that there was a faint glow coming from her.

“Take a right here,” Lizeth told Sophie, who was driving. “Then your second left.”

Layla frowned as Lizeth continued to give confident directions, which Sophie followed without blinking. Her mouth fell open in surprise when, against all odds, they arrived at her car. Layla was so relieved that she jumped out at once. She felt like hugging her car’s green roof.

“That’ll need a tow truck.” Rose had gotten out after her and was eyeing Layla’s car with what looked like a professional eye.

“I’ll call it for you, and then we can give you a lift home,” Sophie offered. “Where do you live?”

Layla hesitated. She didn’t want to admit to a group of strangers that she didn’t have anywhere to go.

“I… you can just leave me here.”

“Nonsense—there’s no point in calling a taxi when we’re right here. What’s your address?”

Layla’s face burned with embarrassment. “I…I kind of don’t have one right now. My mother kicked me out.”

The four women exchanged looks that Layla couldn’t quite figure out.

“I know somewhere you can stay,” Sophie said after a moment of silence.

For a moment, Layla thought about arguing—it seemed absurd to be accepting help from them right now and trusting them this much. But she was so tired, and with what they seemed to know about her… Before she’d had more time to think, Layla grabbed her essentials, trying to hide what a mess it was in her car. Re-stuffing her backpack, she got back in next to Rose, wishing she wasn’t so red in the face.

The others were quiet as Damaris called a tow truck. Sophie drove without directions now, heading away from the dark streets and shabby buildings.

Layla couldn’t help but sigh when they reached a slightly less scary neighborhood.

“Layla, we need to talk.”

Sophie’s voice was serious, and she wasn’t smiling. Layla’s cautious confidence took a dip. Sure, she’d wanted an explanation, but things were already so complicated—she wasn’t sure what more she could handle without at least getting some sleep and maybe a meal, too.

Sophie was apparently waiting for her to say something, though. “Okay,” she answered.

“You clearly don’t know what you are—what we all are. There’s no gentle way to tell you this, so I’m just going to get straight to it. Layla, we’re witches. You, too.”

If it hadn’t been for the seriousness of everyone else in the car, Layla would have burst out laughing.

“Witches don’t exist,” she said in a level voice, wondering what their game was.

“They do, and you’re one of them. One of us, I should say. How else can you explain the non-stop accidents since you came into your powers? You’ll need to learn how to control them, for your safety and everyone else’s…”

Layla stared at Sophie in disbelief, holding her gaze in the overhead mirror. True, she couldn’t explain the weird incidents happening since her birthday, but witches?

“You’re joking.” Even she could hear the pleading note in her voice. Yeah, her life hadn’t been great, but she was human. She didn’t have any magical powers. Her mother had always told her she was weird, but surely she hadn’t meant this?

“I’m doing this wrong,” Sophie muttered. “Damaris?”

The other woman shrugged helplessly. “I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to do this. None of us had it sprung on us like this,” she added, her gaze meeting Layla’s in what looked like apology. “We knew our whole lives. I haven’t even heard of a mother keeping it from a daughter in my lifetime. It happened in medieval times, when people were afraid of witchcraft and thought it was from the devil, but you never see that anymore.”

They were serious, Layla realized. They actually believe what they’re saying. This isn’t a practical joke.

A tiny part of her brain wondered if maybe, perhaps, just possibly they were telling the truth, but she squashed it. She wasn’t a witch. She was normal.

She wasn’t a freak.

Before Layla could say anything else, the back of the headrest in front of her started smoking.

“No, not here!”

Rose swatted at the patch while Damaris turned around and looked Layla straight in the eye again. “Just breathe, Layla. You’re okay.”

The smoke was distracting her, but Layla couldn’t help but be drawn into Damaris’ gaze. She could feel her breathing becoming even and slow. Rose removed her hands from the back of the seat, and Layla saw that while it had stopped smoking, there was a burn in the fabric. What on earth was happening to her?

She needed to get out of here. Maybe she was hallucinating.

“Thanks so much for the ride,” she said in a rush. “I think I should be going.”

“She doesn’t believe us,” Rose commented.

“Of course she doesn’t—would you?” Sophie asked. “She’s lived her whole life not knowing any of this existed. We just need to show her some proof.”

Layla didn’t know what these women would offer up as so-called proof, but she didn’t want to see it. Her finger was inches from the call button connecting her to 911, and now she was really thinking about pushing it. Something was holding her back, though. Some tiny, rebellious part of her that insisted the women might not be crazy. Maybe she was crazy for even thinking that, but she couldn’t deny the singed hole in the headrest in front of her.

“You’d be best, Lizeth,” Sophie said. “She’ll likely try to justify anything we do as a trick. She won’t be able to do that with your specialty.”

“I can’t do that in the car!”

“No, of course not. We’ll show her when we get home.”

Layla shook herself out of her stupor enough to process what they were talking about now. That wasn’t happening. “You’re not taking me home with you! I want to get out.”

Sophie and Damaris shared a pained look.

“Layla… it’s dangerous for you to go around like you are, causing accidents. For you and everyone else, you need to learn how to control it. Please, let us help you,” Sophie offered, her voice almost too quiet and gentle for Layla to hear her. She sounded…worried about her. Could that be right?

“We’re nearly there,” Rose put in. “Just give us a few minutes to show you. You don’t even need to come inside. You can watch from the door. If you still don’t believe us after Lizeth has done her thing, you can leave and never hear from us again.”

“Fine,” Layla said uneasily. “Make it quick, though.”

Sophie did. The car sped up, and Layla noticed that the sun was actually starting to rise—where had the night gone? She must have spent far more time drawing and writing in her car than she’d realized and then walking and running. Now, it was a new day, and she had no idea where life was taking her. It had certainly taken a crazy turn overnight.

Finally, they stopped in front of a pretty normal looking house, and the four women piled out. Layla cautiously followed them.

Sophie opened the door and the others followed her inside, looking completely at home. Layla hesitated outside, standing on the porch. She wasn’t going any farther until she was convinced that she wasn’t a captive of some crazy cult.

Lizeth retreated down the hall in front of them, and the others gave her a wide berth.

“I shouldn’t really be doing this inside,” she explained. “But we can’t risk anyone seeing. You have the extinguishers ready, just in case?” she asked her friends.

“You haven’t had an accident like that in years,” Rose said, but Layla saw she was holding a portable fire extinguisher anyway.

Layla was suddenly afraid. What were they going to do? Maybe this was a bad idea. She should just walk away. Her feet didn’t seem to want to move, though.

Transfixed, she watched as Lizeth focused intently on her own hands.