Page 34 of The Spell Caster

It didn’t matter how good she looked in a dress, how sweet she was to me, or how she parted her mouth—Layla Rosen was not for me, and I needed to stay the fuck away from her. Not chase her through a crowd and put my lips all over her.

Holly was right about that too. I had always been obsessed with Layla.

She seemed to attract bullies for no good reason, and someone had to look out for her. Holly and I both clung to her, a North Star in the night.

As I got older, I half-heartedly pursued romances that didn’t go anywhere. Thought maybe I wasn’t into that sort of thing. I was focused on becoming a guardian and proving I wasn’t a waste of space.

Then Layla grew up.

A year ago, I saw her across the commons at the Northern Sea Circle, walking two paces behind her classmates as they laughed and talked without her. She was wearing this short skirt that swayed around her thighs, and just like that, I was a hundred percent gone. All the fond, protective feelings I had for her flipped to something potent and dangerous.

After that, I tried to stay away from her. I knew I couldn’t have her. But she kept coming to me. And I kept fanning that flame. Holly had her head stuck up her own ass and was making Layla miserable. I couldn’t leave her alone and friendless.

Even if I was the worst sort of friend.

The hiking path was barely visible, and I somehow veered off into the woods. I didn’t care—I had a good sense of direction, and I’d just go back the way I came later. This part of the woods was open enough to walk through easily, tall trees shading out the underbrush.

I hadn’t gone far when I hit the creek. It was obstructed by rocks, and water had backed up, forming some kind of natural pool. Ferns and vines drooped over the banks. Something about the place felt magical, almost sacred.

Layla would love it here.

I groaned out loud, dropping my head into my hands and scrubbing at my face. I had to stop thinking about her. When I’d told her we needed to talk after the party, I’d fully intended to make her mine, and damn the consequences. The worst, most reckless idea I’d ever had, and I’d had plenty.

She didn’t need some Troubled fuckup blowing up her life. What she needed was a friend to help her figure out this stuff with her familiar. I’d already interrogated Grey about his demon but hadn’t learned anything useful.

I scowled, thinking of the caster who’d taken Layla’s place. He’d spent the evening at the library, looking up shit for her. I hated him, but that was the least of my problems.

I scanned the lightening sky above the trees for the hundredth time. There was no way the angels didn’t know exactly where this Circle was. They’d been scouting. They probably knew where all the Circles were.

What are they waiting for?

***

LAYLA

I was already scrambling to the bathroom before I realized I was awake. I threw open the toilet lid and vomited up the meager contents of my stomach.

Oliver looked me over from the doorway, taking in my unchanged party clothes and what was probably a raccoonish smear of eye makeup.

He pointed at me. “Too much harvest punch.”

I slammed the door in his face and heard him laughing in the hall.

It wasn’t the harvest punch, I thought as I scrubbed my face and brushed my teeth in miserable slowness. I had pulled magic in my sleep while dreaming of… of…

I was in way over my head. My heart twisted painfully as I wished I could talk to Holly. She used to be the one to help me work through my problems. But my old friend was gone, replaced by someone grown-up who looked like her, someone who touched Costi casually in dark rooms and had no time for me.

Much later in the evening, I still hadn’t emerged from my room except to crawl to the bathroom and back. I slept away my raging headache and choked down one of the fruit bars I’d picked up the day before. I had told Costi I’d talk to him today, but I definitely couldn’t face him right now. Not after realizing I’d had a crush on him for half my life. Not after that dream. I needed to retreat into the forest immediately and become a patch of moss.

There was movement outside from my covenmates, but no one had bothered me. I supposed Oliver would run with the harvest punch hypothesis, and I was fine with that explanation.

A text pinged.

Holly: Can you come outside?

My breath caught. Fate, I had conjured her by thinking about her. Talking to her was a terrible idea. After seeing her last night, I had a suspicion about what had come between us. I wasn’t sure I wanted to confirm it.

With sinking dread, I pushed my feet into a pair of sandals and stepped out.

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