Declan kicked the broken beer bottle and watched it roll toward the pond, stopping when it reached the water's edge. Various pieces of junk and litter covered the sandy area. Leftovers from a weekend party, no doubt. During Leora's time, no one could have come onto the property without the blessings of the Godelieve's, but the wards had faded over the century, and were nothing more than an echo that left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He'd not even remembered the pond until this morning. After hours of laying in bed, he'd opted for an early morning stroll to clear his mind. What his mind had forgotten, his body remembered, and his feet led him to the tranquil spot.
Drawing in a calming breath, he counted to three, released it, and repeated. He lifted his arms and watched as the leather cestuses covered his hands, the metal spikes on the knuckles gleaming in the new day's light. Finding his footing, he anchored his magic in the earth, searching for the bits of metal and stone that would aid him in strength and agility.
Within minutes, his body was coated in a light sheen of sweat, and he stopped to pull his shirt over his head. Today was going to be brutal based on how hot it already was, but it didn't bother him as he slipped back into his forms, the motions centering his focus. He'd abandoned his own training in favor of the girls' training, and with everything spiraling out of control, he needed this.
"I always loved watching you train."
His staff snapped to his hand, and he whirled, pressing the end into the speaker's neck. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, the sweat burning and blurring his vision. If he'd just glanced at the woman, he'd have thought it was Sara Elizabeth. She had the same blonde pixie cut, but her eyes were the color of steel, and her face was too round.
"Do I know you?" he asked, knowing he did. There was something about the way she moved, bare feet dancing across the ground, steps so light he wondered how the breeze didn't carry her away. He jerked away in shock. The woman before him was modern and all hard edges, but he could see her now. Just beneath the surface. Golden hair plastered against cheeks reddened from spinning in circles, and a frilly pink dress flaring around her petite frame.
"I see you've figured it out," she crooned.
"Daphne... but how?"
"I'm a witch," she said. "Magic."
"They bound your powers," he said, scrubbing his hand through his damp hair. "Without your magic, your lifespan is that of a normal human's."
Daphne frowned, anger sparking in her gray eyes. They were so much harder, colder than he remembered. She twisted a ring around her finger, and he looked down to see the slight glow around the pearl.
"A water witch? That's unusual for your family. With your gift of foresight, I would've been sure you'd have spirit."
She laughed bitterly. "Probably so. But I never got to find out. The Circle was so distraught they bound all of our powers, and I never even got to choose my channeling stone."
"Then how?"
The scowl morphed into a sinister smile. "You already know the answer to that. I have to admit, I didn't want to. Not at first, and I've only ever taken from girls like my sister. Girls who didn't appreciate the power they'd been given. They didn't deserve it."
Declan stepped back, his hand going to his chest as he struggled to breathe. How was this the same girl who used to sit in the field and make him dandelion crowns? "You're a murderer."
"You say murderer, I say opportunist. It was the only way to have power until I could remove the binding."
Understanding dawned on him. "A binding can only be removed by the one who placed it on you, or-"
"Or the High Priestess of my Circle."
"Lux will never consent to that. You will go to jail." He looked towards the house, knowing he needed to warn Lux.
Her laughter filled the clearing, the sound like cheap tin scraping against his ears. "My sweet, sweet great-great granddaughter will do whatever I ask."
She reached for him, and he swiped at her, charging his staff with the magical energy he'd siphoned from the earth. It crackled at the end of the stick, bright green and black. The current struck her, making her hiss, but before he could strike again, water filled his lungs, and he gasped for air.
"This will go so much easier on you," she whispered in his ear, running her hand along his bare chest, "if you cooperate. In fact, I can make it pleasant. I'm not a child anymore."
"Go to hell," he choked. "She won't help you."
"Oh, darling." She pushed him to the ground. "Why do you think I told you you would be needed?"
She snapped her fingers, and fresh air filled his aching chest. He didn't move for several moments, gathering his thoughts and his strength. To be told that he'd abandoned his time and his family to further her wicked plot, siphoned the fight out of him.
"Why? Did you kill Leora?"
She recoiled as if his words hit harder than the earlier magical attack. "There were times I hated my sister. She had everything I ever wanted and appreciated none of it. She wanted to be a normal girl, run away with a normal boy. She came to me in tears after you rejected her, and I had to listen to her tell me how she didn't want this life."
"But, she wrote in the journal that we had slept together."
Daphne shrugged. "That was my idea. Our parents were supposed to find it. They loved Leora and you too much to send you to the Council so they would have offered to bind your powers so you could be together. You were such an honorable fellow, I figured you'd do it, too."
Declan said nothing, knowing she was telling the truth. He pushed up on his elbows, dropping his palms onto the ground and digging his hands into the earth. He hated that she watched, the smirk on her lips letting him know she didn't miss the movement.
"What happened then?"
"Then? Then, everything was ruined. Leora's death set everything in motion. Everything I was trying to stop!"
A stick snapped, and another figure stepped through the trees. Kitty emerged, her bright blue eyes wide with horror when she saw Daphne standing over him. He looked down and saw a leather-bound book in her hands.
"Kitty, no," Declan wailed, his heartbreak nothing compared to what Lux's would be.
"I'm sorry. I really am."
"Why?"
Daphne cupped his cheek, a spell crackling beneath her fingertips. "Don't you worry about it. For you, it doesn't matter anymore." The magic sank into his skin, and the world went dark.
*********************************************************
Lux
The thief had torn the room to shreds. Every drawer opened, every pillow overturned, every piece of furniture moved. Lux knew it was pointless, knew it wasn't there, but she couldn't stop hunting. With a sigh, she dropped on the bed and stared through the window.
"Lux?"
She turned to see Sara Elizabeth coming in the room, followed by Ruby, Audra, Brooke, and Kitty. The events of the last few days wore heavily on their faces, shadows clinging to their eyes and lines forming on their young skin. There was a chance one of them had stolen the journal, for what purpose she couldn't understand, but she thought it more likely that one of the adults had seen it and been curious.
"Did you find it?" Kitty asked, rubbing Lux's shoulder and refusing to look her in the face.
"No, it isn't here. I'm going to ask Memaw when she gets up."
"They're not here," Ruby said. "They got up about an hour ago and said they needed to run to town."
"This early?"
Ruby shrugged. "It's a good thirty minutes to anywhere with anything resembling a real grocery store."
Audra clapped her hands. "Alright then, let's take advantage of everyone being up and about to go work on our spells. Y'all are going to be amazed at what we can do with a full Circle."
"Really," Sara Elizabeth griped. "Hanish and Travis are still laid up in bed, and I don't think I could channel a spark of magic after last night. Can't we take a day to just be girls? Please?"
Brooke stuck her hand in the air. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I know I'm not really a full-fledged member yet, but I agree with Sara Elizabeth. And I know I need some time to just process all of this. Everything has happened so fast since Corinne died, and all I can think is that this started because she wanted to be a normal girl. Can we do that for her today?"
Audra put her hands on her hips. "We've only got a few weeks until Lughnasadh."
Lux stood, shoving thoughts of the journal aside. "And what is one day going to do?" The stone against her neck warmed and buzzed as if agreeing with her decision. "I know I need a minute to process myself."
"I agree with them. As much as I love my craft, I know when I need a break." Ruby sent a rare, warm smile in Lux's direction. "Some of us know each other from school, some of us just met. I think we need to focus on our connections as people as much as our magical connections."
"Well, I didn't mean all that," Sara Elizabeth said, turning to leave. "But there is a pond on this property, and I'm dying for a swim."
"Eff, why the hell not," Audra said, following her out.
Ruby groaned. "What is with y'all and your predilection for swimming?"
"Y'all get my hair wet, and you're done for," Brooke chimed in.
Lux looked at Kitty. "You okay? Up for a swim?" They were the only two in the room now.
"Don't you wanna keep looking for the journal?"
"Honestly, no. I think I just used it as a way to escape, to feel connected to everyone while I was stoneless. All it's done is cause problems."
Kitty looked put out. "Did you finish it? Did it tell you what happened to Leora?"
"I didn't get that far, and there were a few clues, some suggestions that there was jealousy in the Circle that might have caused someone to act out against the Godelieve's. But whatever it was, Leora wouldn't have written it down because she died. What's with the sudden interest?" She narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "You're being a little strange."
Kitty straightened, the odd nervousness that had plagued her disappearing. "Just like the history of our Circle, you know? I want to know what happened, but most of all, I want to be a better witch."
Lux wrapped her best friend in a hug, ashamed for assuming it was anything else that drove her questions. "It doesn't matter what happened before. We just need to be united. So, let's get outside and do some family bonding."
"I've missed you," Kitty said, holding Lux tight. Her slender body shaking with tears.
"Hey, I told you this morning. It's going to be okay, now."
The blonde girl sniffled. "You're right. I know you are. Everything is going to be okay now."
"Let's go," Lux grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards the door.
"Ouch! What the heck?" Kitty stumbled and pulled her hand free to hold her toe as she hopped around the room.
Lux bent over to pick up the offending object. It was the jewelry case that had been with the diary. She'd been unable to open it, but something pushed her to try again. When the case clicked open, a gasp slipped out. Lying on black velvet was the necklace she'd seen around Leora's neck in the portrait.
"Kitty, oh my gosh. Do you know what this is?"
She hobbled closer to look. "That's an opal," she breathed.
"Not just any opal. It's Leora's channeling stone. It went missing when she did. Come on, I have to tell Declan." She took two steps towards the door, stopping when it slammed shut in front of her, the gust of wind it caused blowing her hair back. She twisted the knob, but it wouldn't turn. "Kitty, this isn't funny. Let's go."
"I'm not trying to be funny. Just give me the stone, Lux. Please."
Lux snapped the case closed and shuffled until her back was pressed against the door. The emeralds on Kitty's bracelet were glowing, and her blue eyes looked dead as she approached. "This doesn't have to be hard. Ms. Dee won't be mad if you just give me the stone, and I will let you go."
"Ms. Dee?" Her mind raced. "That's the name of the woman who owns Amulets. Is she the Bloodborn?"
The stones flared and the metal case was ripped from her hands. Lux reached for her own power. She could feel it building in her chest, a tidal wave of magic begging for release, but she resisted. She might have raw strength, but Kitty had been practicing for months now.
"Why won't it open?" Kitty hissed, her nails breaking against the latch. "Open it!"
"No," Lux whispered, her heart breaking at the wild look on her friend's face. "This isn't you, Kitty. I know it's not. What has she done to you?"
"Just stop," the girl begged. "Open it, and I can let you walk away."
"I'm afraid I can't." She let her magic funnel to her fingertips, a spell on her lips. It was pure instinct driving her; she didn't know what damage she was about to unleash on Kitty.
"Then you're dead, too." Kitty said, flicking her wrist.
Something hard slammed into the side of Lux's and all the light disappeared.