Declan
Before Declan could tell the girls more about the Gateway, Bella popped her head in the room. Over the last few days, she pulled herself back together and returned to the immaculate and cold woman he'd first met. He suspected she used her outer appearance as a shield. The sharp twist to her lips as she surveyed the various plants and liquids he'd spread out broadcasted her distaste for their continued insistence her daughter be trained as a witch, despite Lux's inability to choose a channeling stone.
"Lux," Bella addressed her daughter in a clipped tone, "Will you step out here? I need to speak with you."
Lux pushed a piece of auburn hair behind her ear as she walked towards her mother. His sharp eyes caught the slight wobble in her steps. The power surge she'd experienced had taken its toll. She wasn't the first witch he'd seen in this state, but without her stone, these episodes would grow worse.
Their voices grew distant as Bella drew Lux down the hall. The blonde duo sitting in front of him ruined his attempts at eavesdropping.
Despite looking like Sara Elizabeth and Kitty shared family ties, their personalities were polar opposites. Where Kitty was sass and fire, Sara Elizabeth was acid and ice: a combination far more caustic than the other. However, at this moment, they were united by common curiosity.
"Go on," Sara Elizabeth insisted.
"Please," Kitty added on sweetly, cutting her eyes at the other girl. "Can you stop being a bitch for just one second?"
"I could."
"You are such a pain in the ass."
Declan listened to their squabbles and bit back a groan. Getting these girls to work together was going to be a feat of magic in itself. Never had he seen a Circle filled with such contentious women. Then again, most Circles were the product of generations of women growing together through their love and respect for magic and shared history. Many shared familial bonds, but even those who did not were called Sister. They might not always agree, but they knew it was best to put those aside for the greater good. He was beginning to think a silencing spell would best serve the greater good.
Shoving his hands through hair that was sticking straight up by now, he announced, "I will not continue until Lux joins us. I do not wish to tell this tale twice."
"She shouldn't even be allowed to study with us. She's dangerous," Sara Elizabeth said.
Declan recoiled from the vitriol in her voice. "She's your High Priestess."
"Well, that's some bullshit," she growled, "Just because she's born into the right family, she gets to lead us? Even though she's not the most capable?"
Declan had been known for his patience as a child and young man. It's the reason they chose him as High Sorcerer to Leora's High Priestess, but his temper was legendary amongst those who managed to raise it. The twenty-first century was about to see a revival.
"No," he growled, gripping the edges of the table in front of him to stop his anger from becoming physical. "What is bullshit is that you think that you're any more qualified for the role. You've known about your abilities for a couple of months, and you think because you have a star sapphire sitting on your finger you've got it all under control? In Lux's veins runs more power than you could ever dream of. She descends from the First, First Daughter, whose father was an Archangel. But even if she didn't have that. Even if she was the weakest witch in the room, she's more qualified than you because of the love and strength she possesses. Qualities that I have seen no evidence of you possessing."
Sara Elizabeth blinked rapidly, and he spied the tears she was trying to keep from falling. He waited for the first stirrings of guilt, but it didn't come. She needed to be knocked down a peg or two. If not for the good of herself, then for the good of this Circle. He waited for the sharp retort she'd likely been preparing while he was ranting, but she dropped her eyes to her hands and said nothing.
"This is the best day ever," Kitty whispered.
"Kitty."
She snapped to attention, fear written across her face as she prepared to be verbally assaulted as well. He softened his tone.
"Kitty, you need to stop rising to the bait. Everyone in this entire Circle needs to grow up now, because willful children can not handle the things that are coming." Both girls swallowed hard, but nodded. "Now, where is Ruby?"
"She said she couldn't come today. Her mother wasn't feeling well," Sara Elizabeth grumbled. Grumbling, Declan could handle. He would take it as a win.
"That's fine, but let me make this clear. If you miss a lesson, you will make it up. On my time, not yours. Is that understood?"
Again they nodded. Declan could see being too kind with these girls had been his first mistake. He might be close in age, but this world made them soft. He would do no one any favors by coddling them.
With half his attention turned to the hallway, he instructed the girls to open their books on potions and elixirs. Kitty's copy resembled Lux's. Worn and stained, it was a book that had been well loved by the witches who used it before her. Sara Elizabeth's contrasted with its newness. It was a wonder it was still in print after all these years, and he made a note to reach out to the other Circles to make sure there wasn't a newer book that was favored.
That meant he would have to formally announce his return, and there would be complications he wasn't ready to deal with. Not until he had his Circle in order. Starting with getting his High Priestess a proper channeling stone.
Lux entered the room as he walked the girls through the finer differences between elixirs and potions. Kitty and Sara Elizabeth surprised him with the intensity of their focus, and hope unfurled in his chest.It was small- barely bigger than a pearl, but it was more than he'd possessed moments ago. Perhaps magic would bring this Circle together, offering them common ground for the first time.
"Lux," he prompted when she didn't take a seat and join in the lesson. There were no tears staining her cheeks, and her eyes weren't snapping with anger. Instead, she looked resigned. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, um. I think we're going to have to put off the rest of the lesson for today."
"Now Lux," he began, aware that the other girls were waiting for him to deliver a similar speech to their leader. They'd be waiting a long while. "We can't just blow this off."
"No, I understand it's important," she exhaled, then rushed on, "Mama wants us to go to Jackson to visit another shop like Amulets to see if my channeling stone is there."
His hope grew bigger. Why hadn't he thought of that? If they could find Lux's channeling stone, it would resolve many problems.
"I agree that is more important."
"Mama won't be able to go with us, and Memaw isn't back from her trip yet. She won't let us go unless you come with us."
"That shouldn't be a problem, though I'm not sure I should be the one driving."
"I can drive," Kitty piped up. She nearly squirmed in her chair with excitement, and she never looked away from Lux.
"No," Lux gasped, "The last time you drove in Jackson, we nearly died seven times. Not an exaggeration. I can drive. My car will be a tight fit. Especially for you, Declan, but we can make it work."
Through the window, a dark SUV bounced down the gravel drive. Declan pointed as he asked, "Who is that?"
Lux and Kitty shared a laugh. "A much better ride than Lux's car."
"I didn't even know he was coming over. We can't let him go with us. How can we keep what we're doing quiet?"
Travis hopped out of the massive vehicle. The boy was interesting and his vehicle did look much more comfortable than Lux's two door contraption. "I'm fine with him coming. I'm assuming you two will eventually tell him the truth. Most witches have mortal friends; in fact, it's essential in maintaining secrecy from the rest of the world."
"You mean, we can tell him?" The girls shrieked, while Sara Elizabeth looked bored. "Oh my gosh, thank you!"
They ran out of the room squealing like children on Christmas morning. He would've told Lux she could share her secret with a trusted few long ago if he'd known it was weighing so heavily on her. Anything to see those pink lips lift into a smile. He paused and looked back at the sullen Sara Elizabeth.
"You coming?"
"I suppose." His raised eyebrow made her blanch and change her tone. "Yes. I'd like to come."
"Good," he said, walking out of the room, his steps light and his heart full of hope for the first time in over a century.
****************************************************
LUX
Declan's face pressed against the car window, leaving smudges and smears that would drive Travis crazy later. Since leaving Sweetwater, he'd spent most of his time in that position, his wide-eyed amazement turning to shock and distress as they neared Jackson.
They were squashed into the backseat with Sara Elizabeth, and if the pouting cheerleader wasn't present, Lux might have spent more time enjoying the way Declan's body pressed into hers. As it was, Sara Elizabeth smirked knowingly every time Lux and Declan jostled against one another, both issuing awkward apologies.
In the front seat, Kitty was still trying to convince Travis of her witchiness. He hadn't reacted to their news the way Lux had expected. He stared at them before bursting into laughter and agreeing to chaufer them to Jackson.
"Kitty, if you girls want to believe you're witches and dabble in all that stuff, I support you. Who am I to judge?" he said to her while she tried and failed to levitate an object.
"I just don't understand why I can't do this."
Sara Elizabeth spit out, "You're too emotionally charged. Chill out."
"If you're so knowledgeable and talented, why don't you show him?"
She caught Travis's eyes in the mirror. "Travis, Kitty is bat shit crazy. There is no such thing as witchcraft."
Lux ignored the fight that erupted and focused on Declan. He no longer looked out the window, and shadows clung to his features, giving him a haunted look.
"Hey, we're navigating this together. Remember?"
Lux could still feel his hands on her arms as he tried to pull her out of the grip of her frightening power. Her skin had tingled with bliss as her body hummed with all of that power, and long after Sara Elizabeth had slapped her, she'd felt slightly intoxicated. Even now, in the center of her chest, the ache was stronger than before- nearly overwhelming. The pain couldn't be hidden for much longer. But seeing the sadness in the man beside her, she knew she had to keep that from him. He was so worried already; she wouldn't add to it.
"I thought I'd accepted the changes in the world," he began, shifting his large body to get comfortable. The movement and Travis's aggressive maneuvering down the road closed the spaces between their bodies, but neither one made a move to separate.
"But I can still see hints of what Sweetwater was. The old buildings, the houses, even many of the families I knew are still around. But this. I see nothing familiar here. Did you know that there used to be an insane asylum here?" He pointed toward the area where the University of Mississippi Medical Center sat.
"I think I knew that," she responded, trying to see the city through his eyes. "We only come to Jackson for shopping and rarely do we come to Fondren, though I do love it."
Kitty turned around in her seat. "It makes sense that a shop specializing in magic would be in Fondren."
They turned into the parking lot of a small shopping center. A natural foods grocery store took up the bulk of the space, while there were several smaller shops attached to the building. Declan surveyed everything with tight lips as he unbuckled and stepped into the sweltering heat. Lux scooted out behind him, her skin slick against the leather even though the air conditioning was on full blast.
"Mama said it would be by St. Martin's."
Travis eyed the tiny storefront with trepidation stamped across his features. "I do not understand why these shops have to be so ratchet. It's bad enough that they couldn't come up with anything more creative than Charmed, but it looks like it belongs attached to a gas station on Medgar Evers Blvd. And it would have bars in the window, and they'd sell liquor and cigarettes."
"It's quaint," Lux said, the lie clear to everyone.
"I don't know what this Medgar Evers Blvd is, but I think I agree with Travis. This place is distasteful."
"No. Amulets felt like it was coated in evil. This place... this place feels clean and welcoming." Lux opened herself up to search for any negative energy, but when she felt nothing, she headed to the entrance. "Come on. Let's find my stone."
Lux didn't wait to see if anyone followed her. No tinkling bell announced her presence, Like Amulets this store used aromatherapy to soothe and stimulate its customers, but instead of lemon and lavender, cinnamon and peppermint swirled in the air like a Christmas bouquet.
"Well, that's unique," Travis muttered behind her, and she turned to see his nose twitching in response to the fragrance.
"I try to stay away from the ordinary," a soothing voice said to their right. They collectively turned to see a middle-aged woman watching them with blatant curiosity as she finished ringing up another customer. "Peppermint and cinnamon are both fantastic for stimulating concentration and clear thinking. Something everyone should have when purchasing items to aid in the craft. I'll be right with you."
Lux looked around the shop while they waited for help. Many of its contents looked identical to Amulets. Mortars and pestles for grinding herbs, tiny cast iron dutch ovens (the modern southern witch's cauldron), and books in foreign languages lined the shelves and counters.
"Come see me in three days. It'll be ready," the shopkeeper told the customer who only nodded before turning to leave.
Lux wasn't the only one who gasped when the woman's face became visible, and she stumbled backward into Declan's solid chest. He was tense as he steadied her, and she pushed down a surge of jealousy at the thought this stranger's stunning beauty froze him. Her long dark hair, with a touch of red similar to Lux's hair, hung in loose waves down her back and nearly disappeared against the black leather of her pants. A belt with a large dagger hugged her hips, and Lux spied the hilt of another knife peeping out of her thigh-high boots.
She pulled her eyes up and was measured in return. In the dim lighting, the woman's eyes were nearly black, and she clenched the item she was holding tighter. "Three days," the stranger called over her shoulder before pushing past the group, the power and sadness radiating from her nearly knocking Lux over.
"Al, have I ever let you down."
"There's a first for everything," the woman called Al called before stepping outside and disappearing from view.
"Was that a Guardian?" Declan asked, awe and fear lacing his voice.
The shop owner clicked her tongue in disapproval, but her voice wasn't unkind when she answered, "I don't discuss my customers, boy. Now what brings a sorcerer, three untrained witches, and one of the Children to my shop?"