The Opal Witch: Prophecy (Book Two)

Chapter Eight

Her mother nodded and walked over to Lux. She put her hand on one cheek while she kissed the other cheek. "I trust you. I think I'm going to go back to bed. You should do the same."

"I will in a little while. I think I want to take a walk, get some fresh air."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

Fifteen minutes later, Lux left the house dressed in her warmest clothes. The chill in the air was welcome, and she hoped it would hold until Christmas. Last year she spent Christmas Day in tank tops and shorts.

Her feet took her down a familiar path, cutting through the field by the Willoughby's old home. Mrs. Willoughby had passed during the fall of her freshman year in college, and Mr. Willoughby moved in with a nephew, unable to handle living in the home he'd made with his wife. His one request was that the land remain open to public use.

Of course, no one would be swimming in the pond in December, but there were few places that brought her as much peace as this spot. The long grasses growing around the pond's edge were brittle and yellow. Many of the stems were bent, their tips skimming the surface of the pond when the breeze stirred them. Ripples spread out in response to their touch.

Lux lowered herself on the dock, drawing her knees to her chest. She thought of the time she almost drowned. It had seemed like a fluke. A weird stroke of bad luck that she was tangled in the undergrowth and pulled under. But she was almost certain it had been Kitty who'd tried to kill her that day. Had she been any more experienced with her magic, she might have succeeded.

Hot tears pricked her eyes, and she shook them away. The headache would only be worse if she cried, and her former best friend was in possession of far too many of her tears already. It made her wonder though... why did her sixth sense fail her then? If it could whisper mundane things like incoming phone calls and flat tires, why couldn't it tell her to be wary of her friend- her sister?

"Out here all alone?"

Lux tensed when Kitty's voice washed over her. It was as if the universe mocked her by letting the bound earth witch sneak up on her.

"Are you?" she asked, looking over her shoulder and searching for Ashley, Kitty's ever present shadow.

"For now. I was on my way to your house and saw you walking."

"Why would you come to my house? You've picked your side."

Kitty sat beside Lux and stared out across the pond. Blue streaked her blond hair, and she kept the curls restrained in a long braid. Sitting next to her felt strange. Like they'd been transported back in time when it was an everyday occurrence to find the two of them on the dock, their backs to the field and fronts to the water. Auburn and Golden heads pressed together as they shared secrets and laughter and most importantly: love.

That was the thing that broke Lux. Kitty hadn't turned on her because of anything she'd done but because of what she believed Lux would do. There was no gradual breaking down of their friendship, no turning toward hate. One day, there was love and then they were broken.

"Lux, if you would just accept what I've told you, it would be better for the world. Why can't you see this?"

"Maybe because you got your info from a psychotic murderer, and you're asking me to commit suicide."

Kitty sighed. "That's dramatic. We can start with binding your powers. I'm certain it would be enough."

"Oh, I'm sure it would be."

"You're an abomination, Lux."

"Tell me how you really feel," Lux snapped, surprised by Kitty's boldness. It had been nearly two years since she'd tried to speak to Lux this way, to plead for her to give up her life or powers.

"The girl who was my best friend was a good person, but you spent too long without your channeling stone. There are broken things inside of you that can't be healed, and the amount of power you have isn't right for any one person to carry. The darkness is going to come in through the cracks, and that will be the end of us all."

"If it was about my channeling stone, why didn't you do more to help me get it? You were working with Daphne before I turned sixteen."

"I thought I could save you. I wanted to fight against what Daphne told me-"

"And that's why you tried to kill me," Lux snarled, wondering if the girl would deny it.

"That wasn't me. Daphne was nearby, and I was the one who broke her spell. I was punished for that, you know."

All the breath rushed from Lux's lungs. Trusting Kitty was stupid, but she believed her. Needed to believe her in that moment. To know her friend hadn't been set against her from the very beginning.

"It wasn't until later when I saw how unstable you grew that I realized Daphne was right."

"No, I'm stronger for what I went through. I have a respect for the magic we create. Respect I might not have otherwise."

Kitty stood, brushing her pants off. "Then what magic were you messing around with last night? I know you did something. I felt it."

Lux spluttered. There was nothing she could say. She didn't know herself, but her silence was the same as a confession of guilt. Kitty shook her head.

"This was your last warning, Lux. The time is coming when I won't be able to wait anymore."