The Gleaning (21 page)

“You, beautiful girl? Won’t you join me?”

With a wave of his hand, and before she had a chance to accept or decline his invitation, Rose was lifted, once again, off her feet. Her dress swept inches above the marble floor as she ascended the enormous staircase and joined this man at the top. William stood next to me, looking surprised and afraid.

Again, the man addressed his crowd. “As is tradition, a human girl who exhibits the otherworldly magic is initiated into our great community. Tonight, I have chosen my son William’s companion, Miss Rose.”

Rose looked confused and frightened as the crowd clapped.

“She will endure a series of tests to ensure she is worthy of such an honor.”

Her round eyes told me she knew nothing of what was happening.

“But first, the precious stone you wear around your neck, my dear?”

Rose’s hand closed around the necklace, but it’s light escaped between her pale fingers.

The warlock was clearly impressed with its power. “May I?” He began to lift her hair, and unclasp the chain, just as Logan did to mine on Black Mountain.

“I—I’m not sure if I should? My mother said to keep it on my person.”

This was not the response he wanted. The warlock’s eyes flashed. “I’m sure your mother would approve if she knew the honor about to be bestowed upon you.”

“I’d rather keep it on, sir.”

The crowd gasped in disapproval.

“That, I’m afraid, is an impossibility. You see the amulet belongs to me. As do you now.”

In a flash, he ripped the chain off her neck.

The amulet floated in the air, hovering between warlock and witch—between good and evil.

It glowed what I knew to be hotter and hotter, until we all heard it crack.

Two pieces shot across the room.

Shaped like teardrops, they spun through the air.

The elder warlock growled, face red with fury, and took off after one piece, while William, bright William, quietly walked backwards, bent over and slipped the fallen glowing half into Rose’s handkerchief.

And suddenly, in one flash of light, I was somewhere else.

I was lying in a thicket, outside the ring of Stones.

My mouth was so dry. Like cotton. Head…so…foggy. And pounding. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. My body felt anemic, almost faint.

Then the crowd screamed inside the Solstice Stones. Cheered. They’d started without me?

I licked my tingling lips, and struggled to my feet in dread. Rose had transported me for a reason, I knew that much. But something terrible had happened in my absence.

Oh, no.
No.

Bursting into the circle of stones, I saw my doppelganger hovering in the air over Logan’s twitching body. A blinding green current extended from her chest to his, electrocuting him.

“Stop!” I screamed. “You’re killing him!”

But she didn’t stop. I watched in horror as rays of magical energy ebbed from Logan’s core, fueling her electric assault.

Ignoring the questioning chaos from the covens, I grabbed Logan’s dragon sword off the ground and deflected the current. My jade-eyed doppelganger was knocked off balance, and she toppled to the ground. But I was too late. Logan was lying lifeless in the bloodstained dirt.

“No!” I screamed, as my heart ripped in half. In its place, I felt a white-hot flare of rage.

Who are you? Why would you do this to him?

She didn’t answer. Instead, she got slowly to her feet and stared.

“WHO ARE YOU?” I screamed as I charged her. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when my blade sliced through her chest, her blood—real blood—spilled onto the dirt.

I dropped the sword, and ran to Logan, leaning over his chest. How could this have happened? Why had Rose chosen such a disastrous moment to speak to me? And why hadn’t our amulets protected us?

My hand flew to my neck. My necklace was gone—stolen. And then it struck me, like the deafening crack of Rose’s amulet exploding. I hadn’t been transported. I’d been drugged, by the doppelganger—she’d planned it all along. Rose had only given me the dream to help me save Logan.

Now I knew exactly what to do.

Across the ring, Jude stared at my doppelganger with frightening intensity, his outstretched palm trying to lure the gem from her neck. But his magic couldn’t break the clasp.

When he caught my look, I suddenly felt myself weaken.

He was siphoning my energy with his gaze.

When I finally tore my eyes away, I saw Jacob walking toward the fallen shifter, sneering. “Iris!” I cried out. “Help! I need the necklace!”

“No!” Jacob said, blocking her path. “That gem belongs to my son, and I will take it on his behalf.”

Camellia looked back and forth between us, torn, as war threatened to erupt between the covens. But before she had a chance to speak, the chain snapped, and the amulet was airborne, flying toward Jude’s outstretched hand.

A winged moonshadow flocked against the stones. I heard a cry and looked up as Clay soared over the circle. He snapped up the amulet in his beak, then swooped down and dropped it into my hand. Then, just as suddenly as he entered, he disappeared in the darkening sky.

Fighting to ignore the surrounding chaos, I stared at the tear shaped stones.

My hands shook as the cold jewels flashed in my hands, begging me to piece them together. I flipped them both upside down, backed one into the other and sucked in a breath as the two upside-down jewels fused themselves into one.

The two teardrops formed a heart.

One perfect heart.

Press it to his heart!
Iris screamed mentally.

I obeyed her, but it didn’t work.
Nothing’s happening!

It will! Don’t let go!

Jacob was closing in, maniacal eyes focused on the conjoined amulet. But then he stopped suddenly, as if he’d struck an invisible wall. Iris was pouring every ounce of her energy into holding him back, while I pressed the gem to Logan’s beautiful chest. I wasn’t sure how long she would last, and I was growing faint from Jude’s spell.

I breathed all my energies into Logan—everything good, everything pure and true that had ever come out of me. It poured out of me and into him. Everything I read in the journal. All of Rose’s first experiences with her warlock: flowing fountains, glittery light, golden butterscotch candelabras floating in a utopian ballroom, top hats and stolen glances and carriages black as night, dancing snowflakes kissing a child’s nose. I gave him silken rose petals and freshly cut grass. And then our memories: grains of star-colored sand, waves on a moonlit beach, an underwater kiss in a sea of kaleidoscope rainbows.

All my memories.

All my dreams.

Our wonderland.

Logan, please.

Please.

A heartbeat. Faint as the wings of a new butterfly fleeing its transformative cocoon, vibrated under my warm cheek. But then, as if it lacked the patience to finish its duty, the necklace slipped through my grasping fingers, and it rose until the brilliant heart-stone floated over us.

A hush fell over the crowd as the amulet revealed itself. Jude stared at it with an expression of pure rage. Iris’ face filled with fear and doom as she struggled to keep Jacob a safe distance from the stone. Camellia just sat there, frozen.

Jacob smiled at it like a rat swiping at a moth.

Don’t look at him, Lily!
Iris’ voice sounded desperate.

Mom! What’s happening?
Her face was visibly aging.

I had to take back some of my power to protect the amulet, but now you are no longer safe from Jacob’s eyes.

What does that mean? Mom?

Before she could answer, a grotesque sound of a snake shedding its skin diverted everyone’s attention. I followed their eyes across the ring of stones, to where my doppelganger had evaporated into thin air. In her place, in a tangle of grim repose, lay my best friend.