The Coven (18 page)

It was only late that night, when I was lying in bed, that I remembered that I’d never told him about the blond witch.

 

On Thursday morning the only parking spot was right behind Breezy, Bree’s sleek BMW. I thought about how easy it would be for my car to crush hers, then I smiled wryly at having such a mean, unmagickal thought.

“You look different,” Mary K. said as I carefully maneuvered my car into the spot. She peered into the passenger’s-side makeup mirror and reapplied her lip gloss.

I glanced at her, startled. Had she seen me in the car with Cal yesterday? “What do you mean?”

“Your bruises are a lot better,” said Mary K. She looked out her car window. “Oh God, there he is.”

My eyes narrowed at the sight of Bakker Blackburn skulking around the life sciences building, obviously waiting for Mary K.

“Mary K., he tried to hurt you,” I reminded her.

She bit her lip, looking at him. “He’s so sorry,” she muttered.

“You can’t trust him.” I gathered up my backpack, and we opened our doors.

“I know,” my sister said, looking at him. “I know.” She moved off to see some of her girlfriends, and I headed for the coven hangout.

“Morgan.” Raven’s voice reached me from a few feet away. I looked over to see her and Bree striding along beside me.

I didn’t say anything.

“Your face is looking more normal,” said Raven snidely. “Did you do a magick spell to fix it? Oh, wait, you’re not supposed to, right?”

I just kept on walking. So did they. I realized Raven and Bree were going to follow me all the way to the east door.

Jenna and Matt saw us first. Then Cal met my eyes and gave me an intimate smile, which I returned. His gaze grew cold when he saw Bree and Raven behind me.

“Hi, guys,” said Jenna, with her usual friendliness. “Bree, how’s it going?”

“Peachy keen,” Bree said sarcastically. “Everything’s great. How about you?”

“Fine,” said Jenna. “I haven’t had an asthma attack all week.” Her eyes flicked to me, and I looked down.

“Really?” said Raven.

“Hey, Bree,” called Seth Moore. He loped up to us, his baggy pants long around his ankles.

“Hi,” said Bree, making that one word sound like a promise. “Why didn’t you call me last night?”

“Didn’t know I was supposed to,” he said. “Tell you what—I’ll call you twice tonight.” He looked jubilant at this clear sign of approval and shifted his feet, looking at Bree.

“It’s a date,” she said in a smarmy, come-hither voice that anyone with two brain cells to rub together would see right through.

“Knock it off, Bree,” Robbie said suddenly. Everyone else seemed surprised, but I remembered the look I’d seen on his face that day in the gym.

“Whaaat?” Bree looked at him with wide eyes.

“Knock it off,” he said, sounding bored and angry. “It’s not a date. Seth, take a hike.You won’t be calling her.”

We were all staring at Robbie, whose face was set and stiff with dislike.

Seth met his stare. “Who the hell are you?” he asked belligerently. “Her dad?”

Robbie shrugged, and I realized how tall he was, how heavy. He looked pretty formidable and made Seth seem slim and young. “Whatever,” he said. “Forget about her.”

“Robbie!” Bree snapped, her hands on her hips. “Who do you think you are? I can go out with anyone I want! God, you’re worse than Chris!”

Robbie looked down at her. “Stop it, Bree,” he said more quietly. “You don’t want him.” He held her gaze for a long time. I glanced at Jenna, and she raised an eyebrow.

Bree opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. She seemed almost mesmerized.

“Hey!” said Seth. “You don’t own her! You can’t tell her who she wants!”

Slowly Robbie raised his eyes and looked at Seth like he was an insect. “Whatever,” he said again, then he turned and walked into the school building as the bell rang.

For one startled moment Bree watched him leave, then she quickly looked at me, and it was like old times when we could pass a wealth of information in one second. Then she turned, and Raven snickered, and the two of them walked away. Seth stood there, looking dumb, and finally turned and headed off, muttering under his breath.

“She sure can pick ’em,” Sharon said brightly.

Cal took my hand.

“Yeah,” I said, wondering exactly what we had just witnessed. “And they can pick her, too.”

March 11, 1984

We have conceived a child. We were not trying to, but it happened, anyway. For the last two weeks I have been trying to find the strength to have an abortion so this child will never know the pain that we have seen in this life. But I cannot. I am not strong enough. So the child rests in my womb, and I will give birth sometime in November.

It will be a girl, and she will be a witch, but I will not teach her the craft. It is no longer a part of my life, nor will it be a part of my child’s. We will name her Morgan, for Angus’s mother. It is a strong name.

—M. R.

 

On Friday night Cal and I had a date. We were going to a movie with Jenna, Matt, Sharon, and Ethan.

Sharon picked me up—we were meeting Cal at his house. At seven o’clock she pulled her Mercedes into my driveway and honked the horn.

“ ’Bye!” I yelled, slamming the door behind me.

When I got to the car, I saw that Ethan was in the front seat, so I climbed into the back. Sharon roared out of my driveway and hung a fast left onto Riverdale.

“Do you have to drive like a crazy person?” Ethan said, lighting a cigarette.

“Don’t you dare make my car smell like an ashtray!” Sharon said, spinning the wheel and stepping on the gas.

Ethan cracked the window and expertly blew out smoke.

“Um, Ethan?” I said. “It’s freezing back here.”

Ethan sighed and tossed his cigarette out the window, where it hit the street with a thousand tiny orange sparks.

“Now you litter,” Sharon said. “Very nice.”

“Morgan’s cold,” Ethan said, rolling up his window. “Turn on her automatic butt warmer back there.”

“Morgan?” Sharon asked, looking in the rearview mirror. “Do you want the seat warmer?”

“No, thanks,” I said, trying not to laugh.

“How about the vibrator?” Ethan asked. “Hey, watch it! You were two inches away from that truck!”

“I was fine,” Sharon said, rolling her eyes. “And there’s no vibrator in this car.”

“You left it at home?” Ethan asked innocently, and I cracked up while Sharon tried to punch Ethan as hard as she could without having an accident. I wished they would just start going out, but I wasn’t sure Sharon had even realized how much she liked Ethan yet.

Amazingly, we made it to Cal’s in one piece and saw Matt’s Jeep already parked in the driveway, along with at least twelve other cars.

“Cal’s mom must be having a circle,” Sharon said.

I hadn’t seen Selene Belltower since the night she had helped calm my fears, and I wanted to thank her again. Cal let us in, kissing me hello, and took us back to the kitchen, where Matt was drinking a seltzer and Jenna was on the phone to the theater.

“What time?” she asked, making notes.

Cal leaned against the counter, pulling me against him.

Jenna hung up the phone. “Okay. It starts at eight-fifteen, so we should leave here around seven forty-five.”

“Cool,” said Matt.

“So we’ve got some time. You guys want something to drink?” asked Cal. He looked apologetic. “We have to keep the noise down because my mom’s having a circle in a while.”

“What time do they usually start?” I asked.

“Not till ten or so,” he answered. “But people come early, hang out and talk, get caught up on their weeks.”

“I wanted to tell your mom thanks again,” I said.

“Oh, well, come on, then,” he said, taking my hand. “You can see her.We’ll be right back,” he told the others.

“Did you take the last Coke?” Sharon accused Ethan as we left the kitchen.

“I’ll split it with you,” was his muffled reply.

Cal and I shared a grin as we walked through the foyer and then through the formal living room and the more casual great room. “There is definitely something happening there,” he said, and I nodded.

“It’ll be fun when they get together. Sparks will fly.”

Cal gave two quick taps on the tall wooden door that led to the huge room Selene used for her circles. Then he opened it, and we walked in. It was quite different tonight than it had been the night I’d arrived here alone, shaken and upset. Now it was aglow with the light of at least a hundred candles. The air was scented with incense, and there were people, both men and women, standing around chatting.

“Morgan, dear, how nice to see you.” Turning, I saw Alyce, from Practical Magick. She was wearing a long, purple, batik robe, and her silver hair was loose and hanging around her shoulders.

“Hi,” I said. I’d forgotten she belonged to Starlocket. Quickly I searched for David, the clerk who made me nervous. He saw me and smiled, and I gave a tentative smile back.

“How are you?” Alyce asked, seeming to mean it as more than just a polite question.

I thought. “Up and down,” I said honestly.

She nodded as if she understood.

Cal had left my side for a moment, and now he returned with his mother. She was also wearing a long, loose robe, but hers was a brilliant red and painted with gold moons and stars and suns. It was stunning.

“Hello, Morgan,” she said in her rich, beautiful voice. She took both my hands in hers and kissed both of my cheeks, European style. I felt like royalty. She looked into my eyes and then placed a hand on my cheek. After a few moments she nodded. “It’s been difficult,” she murmured. “I’m afraid it will be more difficult still. But you’re very strong....”

“Yes,” I surprised myself by saying clearly. “I
am
very strong.”

Selene Belltower gave me an assessing glance, then smiled at me and at Cal as if in approval. He grinned back at his mother and took my hand.

Her eyes swept the room then, and she focused on someone.

“Cal, I want you to meet someone,” she said, and there was an undercurrent of something I didn’t understand in her voice.

I followed her gaze and almost jumped a foot in the air when I saw the same pale-haired girl that Bree and Raven had met with in the cemetery. My mouth opened to say something, but a tension in Cal’s hand made me look up at him.

He had the most extraordinary look on his face. As best as I can describe it, it was . . . predatory. I barely controlled a shiver. Suddenly I felt like I didn’t know him at all.

I found myself following him as he crossed the room.

“Sky, this is my son, Cal Blaire,” said Selene, introducing them. “Cal, this is Sky Eventide.”

Wordlessly Cal pulled his hand free from mine and held it out to her. Sky shook it, her night dark eyes never leaving his face. I hated her. My stomach clenched as I saw the appraising way they looked at each other. I wanted to scratch her, tear at her, and I drew in a shuddering breath.

Then Cal looked at me. “This is my girlfriend, Morgan Rowlands,” he said. He called me his girlfriend, which was mildly reassuring. Then her dark eyes were on me, like two pieces of coal, and I shook her hand, feeling its strength.

“Morgan,” said Sky. She was English, and she had an incredibly musical, lilting voice, a voice that made me instantly want to hear her chanting, spelling, singing rituals. Which made me hate her more.

“Selene has mentioned you to me,” said Sky. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

Over my dead body, I thought, but forced my mouth to stretch into something resembling a smile. I could feel Cal’s tension, feel his body next to mine as he looked at her and practically drank her in with his eyes. Sky Eventide regarded Cal calmly, as if she saw his challenge and would meet it.

“I believe you know Hunter,” she said, gesturing to someone behind her, who had his back to us.

The person behind Sky turned, and I almost gasped. If Sky was daytime, Hunter was sunlight. His hair was a pale gold, and he had fine, pale skin, with some freckles on his cheeks and nose. His eyes were a wide, clear green, with no traces of blue or brown or gray in them. He was stunningly good-looking, and he made my stomach turn. Like Sky, I hated him on sight, in a primitive, inexplicable way.

“Yes. I know Hunter,” Cal said flatly, not extending his hand.

“Cal,” said Hunter. He met Cal’s gaze, then turned to me. I didn’t smile. “And you are?”

I said nothing.

“Morgan Rowlands,” Sky supplied. “Cal’s girlfriend. Morgan, this is Hunter Niall.”

Still I said nothing, and Hunter looked at me hard, as if trying to see through to my skeleton. It reminded me of the way Selene Belltower had first looked at me, but it caused no pain. Only a strong urge to be away from these people. My insides felt hollow and shaky, and I suddenly wanted desperately to go back to the kitchen, to be just a girl waiting to go to the movies with my friends.

“Hello, Morgan,” Hunter said finally. I noticed that he was English, too.

“Cal,” I said, trying not to choke, “we have to go. The movie.” It wasn’t true—we had nearly half an hour before we had to go—but I couldn’t stand another minute of this.

“Yes,” he said, looking down at me. “Yes.” He looked at Sky again. “Have a good circle.”

“We will,” she said.

I wanted to run out of there. In my mind I wildly pictured Sky and Cal kissing, twining together, wrestling on his bed. I hated the jealousy I felt about him: I knew all too well how destructive jealousy could be. But I couldn’t help it.

“Cal?” asked Selene as we were almost at the door. “Do you have a minute?”

He nodded, then squeezed my hand. “I’ll be back in a sec,” he said, and walked over to his mom. I kept walking, out the door, through the great room, through the living room and into the foyer. Feeling hot and clammy, I couldn’t face Jenna, Matt, Sharon, and Ethan just yet. There was a powder room down the hall from the foyer, and I locked myself in. Again and again I splashed cold water on my face and cupped my hands and drank some.