Triumph of Chaos (Red Magic) (14 page)

I was almost back to my house when a dark shape loomed up in front of me. “What the hell happened back there?”

I jumped.
Oh, gods. Had someone seen what I’d done?
The voice was vaguely familiar, but for a minute, I couldn’t place it. Then the clouds parted just a bit, allowing watery moonlight to stream down on us, and I gasped.

“Are you following me?”

Brad didn’t even have the grace to look ashamed. He crossed his arms. “Tell me what that was all about.”

I tried to brush past him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He blocked me. “Look, you and that crazy girl brought us into this. The least you can do is admit what happened.”

I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath. “What do you think happened, since you know so much?”

“I think you blew up a house!”

“Then you’d be right.” I stepped around him and kept walking.

He didn’t block me this time, but his question stopped me. “Why?”

I turned to look at him. “Why what?”

He gestured helplessly toward the horizon. Even over the houses, I thought I could still make out the red glow from the fire, and my stomach clenched with fear. Had I just murdered Rochelle’s family? “Why did you do it?”

Why
? “Because I’m crazy! I didn’t have a reason. I’m just a psychopath waiting to kill innocent people. Oh, and by the way, I eat little children, too.” I whirled away from him, determined to leave everything behind.

“I agree that you’re nuts,” he said calmly, “but I don’t think the rest of that stuff is true.”

I shrugged and kept walking. After a minute, Brad caught up with me.

“Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”

My throat clenched, and I turned on him. “No, it’s not okay! I just blew up a house. I maybe killed two innocent people. All because I thought I saw Rochelle.”

He frowned. “She’s the girl who’s trying to kill you, right?”

“Well, yeah, me and the rest of the sane world.”

“I thought you just said you weren’t sane.”

I glared at him, and he quickly stopped smiling. “Why are you following me, anyway?”

He shrugged. “Pele told me to.”

I leaped away from him as if he’d pulled out a knife. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“He’s doing as I asked.” The volcano goddess materialized beside us, and reflexively, I tried to grab Red magic, but it was like reaching into a dark hole. Nothing happened, and I panicked. Had I somehow broken my connection to Red magic?
What good is any of this if I can’t defend myself?

Brad was watching me nervously, but neither he nor the goddess made a move toward me. I glared at him. “From this point on, consider you and your brother uninvited from our circle.”

“I wouldn’t act so hastily if I were you.” Pele’s words were soft, but they carried power. I turned to face her.

“Why, because you want to use them to destroy us? Go ahead and kill me now.” I spread my arms out, palms up. “For some reason, I can’t use magic right now, so this is your chance.” I almost hoped she’d take me up on it.

Pele smiled her frightening smile. “Perhaps that offer would have appealed to me in the past, but now, little Witch, I do not seek your death.”

“She wants to help us, Darlena,” Brad blurted from the shadows. The goddess and I both stared at him, and he looked at his feet like a chastened toddler.

“You aren’t part of this anymore, Brad.” I tried to keep my voice neutral, but I was shaking.

“That’s a pity, for I always help my children.”

I looked at Pele. “What are you saying?”

She straightened her shoulders. “I am willing to cast my lot with you. To stand against the chaos that is even now devouring Europe. On one condition.”

Her words washed over me, and I stared at her stupidly. “You’ll help?”

She smiled, showing her sharp teeth. “If you train the brothers. Make them Witches, and I will help.”

I glanced at Brad, but he was still looking at the ground. I turned back to the goddess. “What’s in it for you?”

“Once they are trained, they will vow to me. They are of my island; they understand how to serve me.”

A shiver washed over me as I remembered the first time Pele asked me to vow to her; she’d demanded sacrifices. My eyes darted to Brad before I shook my head. “But that’s impossible! You’re a Red goddess. Even if I train them, they won’t be Red Witches.”

Pele threw back her long black hair and laughed. “I am not a goddess who is constrained by meaningless boundaries. There is more than chaos in my nature.”

I stared at her, uncomprehending. “Do you mean that gods aren’t bound by the same paths that bind Witches?”

“Witches do not have to be bound either, girl. But that’s a lesson you must learn for yourself.”

My head felt thick, and my thoughts whirled around helplessly. Finally, I turned to Brad. “Is this what you and Ben want?”

He nodded eagerly. “We love Ma Pele. We want to work for her. And help you, of course,” he added as an afterthought.

I looked at the goddess skeptically. “And you’ll really help us? This isn’t a trick or something?”

She drew herself up and glared at me. Flames danced in her eyes, and I shuddered, thinking of the burning house I was running from. “I do not lie. Unlike some gods, my word is true. Train these boys, and when they vow to follow me, I will help you battle chaos.”

I still didn’t know how much Pele would really be able to help us, but I didn’t want to let myself think about it too much. “If the circle will still have them, then we’ve got a deal.”

Pele nodded. “The deal is struck. When the time comes, you may count me as your ally.”

She vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving me and Brad alone on the sidewalk.

After a moment, I turned to him and raised my eyebrow. “She told you to follow me?”

He nodded, looking embarrassed. “She wanted to talk to you alone. I was following you to find a time when she could.”

Alone.
When everyone finds out what I’ve done, will they ditch me?
I thought about Rochelle’s parents, who were maybe smoldering inside their house as I stood there. I swayed on my feet, and Brad hurriedly propped his shoulder under mine. “I’m fine,” I grumbled, but he didn’t step away.

“Whatever happened with that house, you aren’t fine. You need to lie down.”

I shook my head. “I need to tell somebody,” I ground out. “I have to undo it somehow.”

Brad shook his head. “Sleep first, Darlena. There’s nothing you can do now. Besides, I’m pretty sure someone already called the fire department.”

I glanced back at the red-tinged sky behind us, but I didn’t argue with him, and he helped me walk the remaining block to my house. “Ben and I will be here first thing in the morning.”

I tried to nod, but I couldn’t move my head. “Fine. Just let me tell everyone about—” I gestured helplessly “—tonight.”

“Deal.” He grinned crookedly. “For the record, I still think you’re crazy, but in a good way.”

“If only that were true,” I whispered, taking the spare key out from under the mat and letting myself into the dark house. I wanted to close the door behind me and forget what I’d done, but I couldn’t escape the memory of Rochelle’s house going up in flames.

It didn’t take long for my parents to find out. The fire was all over the news the next morning, and Mom and Dad watched, tense and silent, while they ate breakfast. Surprisingly, neither of them spoke to me, but even their silence felt like an accusation. I couldn’t bear to tell them that their worst fears were true: that I was the monster who’d blown up that house. Thankfully, the news reporters didn’t say anything about any bodies after the fire, and I allowed myself a small sliver of hope. Still, even if I hadn’t killed Rochelle’s parents, I’d come too damn close. My stomach twisted in knots when I tried to eat anything, so I finally pushed my chair away from the table.

“I’ll be out back if anybody cares,” I announced to the room. Lorna and Dr. Farren weren’t around, but Izzy was sleepily sipping a cup of coffee in the chair beside me. She looked up with concern, but she didn’t say anything. We hadn’t spoken since she doused me with water and called me crazy the night before.

I retreated into the backyard. Kicking my shoes off, I climbed up the ancient magnolia tree. Its branches were narrow and I felt them bend under my weight, but I didn’t care. I needed to feel safe again.

Mom had taught me how to climb trees, and this one had always been a favorite of mine. I hadn’t climbed it in years, but I trusted the tree: it wouldn’t let me fall.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I heard a sickening crack. The branch split from the tree, and I slammed into the ground five feet below. The leaves shook and I leaned forward, trying to catch my breath. When I looked back at the tree, it seemed to shiver, as if it were glad to be rid of me.

“Fine,” I said aloud. “Just fine. My own trees are fighting me!”

I heard the screen door open behind me, but I didn’t turn around. Finally, Izzy said, “What are you doing?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m yelling at a tree. Just like crazy people do.”

Izzy sighed, and I glanced at her over my shoulder. “You aren’t crazy. I’m sorry I said that.”

“No, you’re right. There’s something wrong with me.” I almost told her about blowing up Rochelle’s house, but something held my tongue. Instead, I shook my head. “You’re right,” I said again, more firmly. “There’s no such thing as ghosts.”

Izzy hesitated. “I did some spell work once you left last night. I think ghosts can exist.”

I stared at her as if she’d just told me she’d won the lottery. “Seriously?”

“What, now you don’t believe it?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe.”

“Look.” She sighed deeply. “I spoke to Isis. I did a meditation, and I remembered things I’d learned a long time ago. If the spirit is strong enough in life, it can stick around in death.”

I snorted. “Well, that defiantly applies to Marcus. I’ve never met a stronger Witch.”

“You’re stronger.”

I just looked at her.

She nodded at my startled expression. “He had more control because he had more time to learn. But you’re a strong Witch, Darlena. You just need to figure out how to use your power.”

I didn’t want to think what it would mean if I really were stronger than Marcus. He’d been the scariest Witch I’d ever known, including Rochelle with her insane lust for power. Marcus had had an edge to him that felt lethal, even when we were allies.
Even when we were kissing.
Shaking my head, I pushed that thought away. “So Marcus might be haunting me.”

She nodded. “In theory. We could try to contact him to know once and for all.”

“How do we do that? Can we ask Isis to help us?”

Izzy smiled impishly. “Nope. We do it the same way the Nons do.”

I stared at her, uncomprehending. “How’s that?”

“With a Ouija board. Don’t you ever watch horror movies?”

I groaned. “Izzy, it’s a board game. For gods’ sake, we could buy it at the Walmart.”

Izzy laughed. “Luckily, we won’t have to. I have one.”

“You fled Scotland for your life without any bags, and now you’re telling me that you have a Ouija board?”