Timespell (35 page)

It didn’t matter. Her mother had never been on her side before. Certainly not when it had mattered most. The only thing that mattered to her mother was appearances. She had learned that a long time ago.

“Oh my gosh,” Ashleigh said, snapping Kaitlyn’s mind back to the present. “Kaitlyn’s in here.”

“How sad,” Becca said in a loud whisper.

“Tragic,” said a third voice.

Kaitlyn glanced up. The little freshman who had been lusting after Tim all year? A lot had changed in a week’s time.

“Look at her face,” Ashleigh said. “How embarrassing for her.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Kaitlyn said, heading back to her PE locker.

“We know,” Becca said as she sauntered forward, her eyes sparkling with malice. “I just feel terrible for you, cornered by one of your jealous enemies like that.”

Ashleigh met Kaitlyn’s gaze in the mirror. Ashleigh tilted her head innocently. “Was it that gangbanger chic who you told to go off herself?”

Kaitlyn didn’t answer, forcing herself to finish putting on her PE uniform, as if what they said didn’t bother her.

Becca tsked, her high-gloss lips forming a pout. “She doesn’t want to say. Probably scared they’ll come back. Not that they could make her look any worse.”

Kaitlyn slammed her locker shut and pushed past her. “Go to hell.”

“Did you see that, Ashleigh?” Becca cried, rubbing her shoulder where Kaitlyn had shoved her.

“So sad,” Ashleigh said, “the way people change.”

Kaitlyn forced herself to keep walking.

“Are we still going to Baja Fresh for lunch?” the freshman asked.

“Shut up,” Becca laughed. “Kaitlyn might hear us and try to come with.”

Kaitlyn paused at the door, unable to ignore the giggled whispers that followed her. She felt a smile creep up her lips, and turned her head so they could see the full force of her gruesome new face. They gasped, and something inside her snapped.

She lifted her hands and blasted them both, her smile broadening as they crumpled to the filthy bathroom floor, writhing and moaning pathetically. “You two were always total bitches.”

She turned to the freshman, who skittered back like a trapped spider.

“What are you?”

Kaitlyn leaned down over the girl, who slammed into the wall behind her. The tips of Kaitlyn’s fingers glowed bright white as she flung her hand out to within an inch of the girl’s smooth, pretty face.

The girl whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut.

What are you?

What was she? Hair as black as night. A hideous face. Magical powers. Darkness inside her. Dark hatred that twisted and burned when she thought of her friends’ easy betrayals. Hatred that whipped through with helpless fury when she thought of her mother or her uncle. And hatred that threatened to rise up and choke her when she thought of her own hard, unfeeling, embittered self.

What are you?

“I’m a witch,” Kaitlyn whispered.

The girl’s dark eyes blinked open, brimming with tears.

There was no victory here. Nothing that would make things the way they were before. Kaitlyn lowered her hand. She turned around and left, stepping over Ashleigh and Becca on her way out.

A
ngie zipped up her backpack. Free period. She should head to the library. That’s what she always did. And then it would be lunch.

Her stomach tightened up.

She had spent the past week avoiding David. It was impossible to look at him without being seized by fear. The image of him, his chest rent apart as a creature tore out his heart—her eyes squeezed shut and she braced herself against a row of lockers. Every time she saw the vision, it was more intense than the time before.

“Angie!”

Strong arms held her. David. Whole and healthy. He was all right. Of course he was.

“I have something for you,” he said, digging around in his backpack. He smiled, pulling out a small paper bag.

Angie took it, inhaling the scent of vanilla and sugar even before she opened it. “Cookies,” she said softly.

Color swept up his cheeks. “We were supposed to hang out yesterday and I’d already bought the stuff to make them ... Are you okay?”

She nodded, putting the bag of cookies in her backpack. The zipper kept getting stuck.

He took the zipper and sealed her backpack for her before running his hand along the strap, looking at her face. “You’re shaking.” His brows knit briefly. “Let’s sit down for a sec.”

“But you have Calculus.”

“And I’m going to be a little late to class today. Come on.”

He led her outside to their spot in the glen. “What about tardy sweeps?” she protested.

“Your student ID says you have a free period right now. If I get detention I’ll survive.” His tone became gentle as his eyes searched hers. “Enough worrying, okay, angel?”

She tried to relax against him. “I can’t help it.”

“I know,” he said, pulling her down onto the grass. “And I’ve been trying to give you space, but now I’m the one who’s
worried.” He took her hand, drawing designs on her palm. “About you. Am I right to?”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just ...,” she trailed off, afraid to return to that moment in the portal. She began tapping her fingers against her thigh.

David’s gaze dropped to her fingers. He exhaled, taking her hand and holding it between both of his. The pressure was warm and soft. She felt herself relax.

“Please tell me. Or talk to your mom or something. I don’t think anything will get better for you until you talk to someone about whatever’s going on.”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t even know how to begin.

His gaze fell. He started to get up, but Angie held his arm. “Don’t go.”

His bright blue eyes held her captive. “Not for anything.”

She swallowed. She wanted to tell him about the magic. About everything. But where did she begin?

“It’s okay,” he said, tucking her into the curve of his arm.

She breathed deep, relaxing against his chest.
I have magic. Terrible creatures exist in another dimension called the nether. When they find their way to our world, I join together with Kaitlyn and Julia to fight them.
Her eyes slid shut. She wasn’t ready to talk about everything that had happened. She didn’t want to show him the magic and have him look at her differently. She just wanted someone to feel safe with.

He traced her mark of magic, something he did sometimes. Tears slid down her cheeks. He had been a part of her life for more than a decade. A week ago she had been ready to cut him out of her life. The day they met flashed through her mind again. Recess. First grade.
“I had a dream about you.”
His two front teeth missing. His curious gaze.

How had she been willing to let him go?

He smoothed her hair and murmured soft words of comfort. His arms held her securely. She drew on his warmth, taking refuge
in his solid form. He wasn’t hurt. He was all right. The images that flashed through her mind weren’t real. They would never be real.

“Do you feel a little better?” he asked as she let out a long, deep breath.

“I think so.” She sniffed and realized she had been crying all over him. She glanced up at David, then down to his ruined shirt, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. “Sorry.”

He gave her the lopsided grin that made her heart stutter. She loved his smile, and her gaze lingered on his lips a moment longer than she meant it to.

His smile faded. She forced herself to meet his eyes and found them heated. His hands slid up her arms until they rested on her shoulders. Her eyes slid closed as he pulled her toward him.

“Are you sure?” he whispered against her lips.

She pressed her lips to his in answer. He groaned softly, gathering her in his arms. Her heart hammered against her chest as his soft mouth moved over hers. He smelled like honey and tasted like mint. She breathed deep. A small sound escaped her throat as she exhaled. Nothing mattered except the fact that he was hers and she was his. Nothing would ever come between them again.

She slid both hands up his arms, one continuing along the curve of his neck, but he pulled away.

His chest rose and fell rapidly. “I should get to class.”

The mark on her arm gave a sudden flare of heat. She blinked in confusion.

He smiled and lowered his forehead to hers. “Love you, angel,” he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose.

Before she had the chance to reply, he backed up, giving her a goofy smile and running off to class.

“David,” she called.

He spun around, walking backward toward the math building.

“I love you too.”

J
ulia sat upright in her chair, forcing her eyes wide open, but she hadn’t been quick enough.

“I’ll thank you not to fall asleep in my class, Julia,” Mrs. Ramirez said as she passed by. She handed Julia her essay. “Nicely done, by the way.”

Nicely done? On that paper about the French Revolution she had barely managed to finish?

Julia took the paper from Mrs. Ramirez and frowned. “Thanks,” she said slowly, hearing the skepticism in her own voice. Was Mrs. Ramirez messing with her? She flipped to the last page of her paper, surprised to see seven pages instead of the four she had printed out. “Ninety-seven percent?”

The bell rang.
Crap.
Brian would be here any second. She shoved the essay into her backpack and hurried to the hallway to find him. Her heart pumped erratically in her chest. Was she really going to do it? The thought of his chocolaty brown eyes looking at her with anything other than tenderness almost made her back down. Whether or not Ethan would ever be with her, enough was enough. She had to let Brian go.

“Julia?”

“Hey, Brian.”

“Hey, beautiful.”

His smile made her heart melt, but when he leaned in for a kiss she turned her face aside. No. No more kisses. Not ever again.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, taking her uninjured hand in his.

She exhaled slowly. A part of her wanted to wait until lunch, or maybe after school. Maybe wait until the weekend when they would have time to talk. That had been her excuse all week. If only she didn’t care about him at all. If only there was something wrong with him. If only he didn’t still make her heart speed up when he looked at her with so much love.

“Julia?”

She blinked past the sudden mist in her eyes. “Hey, can we sit for a minute?”

“You have PE right now. I have chemistry.”

She shut her eyes as students whooshed past them. Her mind spun. She forced herself to look at him. “I know, but it can’t wait. I have to tell you something and I have to tell you now.”

His hand tightened on hers. “It can wait.”

“No. No, it can’t.” She pressed her lips together before saying, “I have to break up with you.”

His head gave a single jerk to the side. He flinched.

She forced herself to keep her gaze on him, absorbing the pain reflecting from his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“No explanation?” he whispered harshly. “Nothing? Just breaking up with me between classes like the last month meant nothing?”

She had nothing to say for herself, but she couldn’t let him think he meant nothing. “I loved the past few weeks—”

“You know what? Save it.” He looked down at their hands, still linked, and yanked his free. “I should’ve seen this coming.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“I guess you couldn’t wait to tell me,” he said, his eyes flicking toward the students passing by. “Or are you doing this here so I don’t make a scene, begging you to give us another try?”

Waves of pain washed over her. Why had the Fates done this? Why hadn’t they chosen Brian to be her protector? Then Ethan would have only been Brian’s brother to her. Then everything would have made sense.

He held up his hands and backed away. “You got me, Julia. I can’t do this here.” His eyes grew hard and accusatory. “I hope you’ll call me later, at least. Give me a chance to understand what the hell this is about.”

She nodded, but he didn’t see her. He was already shoving his way through the crowded hall in the opposite direction.

Julia’s vision swirled out of focus from unshed tears. She raced out beyond the field and past the locker rooms. She didn’t know where she was going, but she couldn’t handle PE. Not after that.

She paused, leaning against the locker room wall as Coach Hamden’s whistle screeched in the distance. Life kept going, whether she was a part of it or not. But she wasn’t completely a part of this life anymore. Not really. One half of her belonged to the Fates now. And to Ethan.

Without meaning to, her mind searched for him.

She met the mental wall that was now becoming familiar—as cool as marble and just as impenetrable. Her eyes stung at the knowledge that he was keeping her out. The wall he had put up had all of his essence, and she was tempted to send him her thoughts, just to see if he would respond, but she withdrew her presence. She felt so pathetic. Sending him her thoughts and meeting a freaking wall? It was like texting someone who she knew was ignoring her, except so much worse, because she couldn’t even delude herself into thinking his phone might be off.

How could two brothers be so different? Brian was always sweet. He was never rude or curt or borderline mean. If the Fates had chosen Brian—but it was useless to think about. And breaking up with Brian hadn’t changed anything. She knew it wouldn’t, but she’d had to do it. Brian deserved to find someone who wasn’t in a forced connection with his brother.

She kicked the wall behind her, letting her head drop. There was no way to make things work with either of them. The Fates had decided what would happen to her heart. It would be torn in two.

The sound of muffled sobs pulled her out of the fog she had sunk into. She pushed herself off the wall. Ten steps away she found the source of the sobs; a girl with dark hair that fell like a shining curtain over her face. Her tanned, shapely legs were drawn up to her chest. If the mark on Julia’s arm hadn’t been giving off waves of gentle warmth, she wouldn’t have believed this vulnerable, crying person sitting tucked in a ball could possibly be Kaitlyn Tesoro.