Page 33 of Curses and Cauldrons

“I need to go lay down.” I stumble a few more steps back, suddenly desperate to get away from my family. From the accusatory glare of my mother.

“We’re not done talking about this, Josephine.”

“Of course,” I bite out, anger giving me a momentary boost of energy. It drains in the next second, and I lose the small amount of backbone. Spinning away from my family, I rush to find my friends. To wrap myself in the safety of their love and support.

The candles will be left to burn down on the altar until morning, but the night seems darker than earlier. When I reach my friends, my head aches, and my muscles wobble.

“Jojo?” Piper murmurs, stepping in close but leaving room between us. Ava crowds in, and Stellan stands like a sentinel guarding us all.

“You’re barely standing. What did your mother do?” Ava hisses, but Piper shushes her.

“Let’s get you home. Can you walk?”

“I have to.” My words come out in a rasp. If anyone touches me, it will make things worse. I’m already drained, and a touch at this point would likely make me pass out.

“This is bullshit,” Ava snarls, her voice low so none of the other coven members hear. A lot of witches have already left the clearing, but there are still enough people who’ve stuck around that someone could hear us. “You should be energized. Why is it that after every new moon ceremony, you’re dead on your feet while the rest of us are magically topped off for the month?”

Stellan drops a hand on Ava’s shoulder. “Good question, but let’s get Jo home, and then we can start with the conspiracy theories.”

“Let’s just take it slow. Okay?” I pant, a cold sweat breaking out all over my body. I won’t cry, but I’m temptedto whimper just thinking about the mile walk back to my car. The ceremonial lands are warded to keep unsuspecting humans from entering, but it’s also far enough from town so that non-magical people won’t notice anything odd about the area. The walk doesn’t usually bother me, but tonight, the distance feels insurmountable.

Piper sets my shoes in front of me. Just because we had to be barefoot for the ceremony doesn’t mean we’re idiots who walk around the woods without shoes on. It takes multiple tries to pick up my foot and slip it into my shoe. Thank the Maiden, I wore slip-on sneakers. If I had to bend over to tie my shoes, I’d be on the ground, and that’s where I’d stay for the rest of the night.

My steps are shuffling and slow as we head into the Grimwood. Stellan and Ava both have the flashlights on their phones turned on. Stellan is leading the way, Piper is at my side, and Ava is behind me. If I fall, I’m not sure if it would be better or worse if they caught me or let me collapse.

“I’m really sorry, guys.” I choke on my frustration when we’ve barely gone a quarter of a mile in thirty minutes. The rest of the coven passed by us one by one until we’re the only people left on the trail. A few offered help, but most of them just walked on by.

“Shut up.” I hear Ava’s eye roll even if I can’t see it. “As if you’d willingly do this to yourself. Unless there was anyone sick who needed healing in the vicinity, but we all know that’s not what happened here.”

A stone in the path catches the edge of my shoe when I don’t lift my foot high enough. My legs give out, and I fall to my hands and knees before anyone can even consider grabbing hold of me. My breaths are harsh, puffing out in a long stream in front of me. The temperature keeps dropping, and I’m chilled down to my bones. My friends stand quietly around me, their hands tied.

A tear slips free, sliding down my nose until it dangles on the tip. It’s hanging on for dear life. I know the feeling. It finally escapes and plinks down onto the frozen ground. I can’t get back up. I don’t have the strength. If my friends carry me, I’ll pass out for sure. I’m not sure how long it will take for me to wake back up.

“This is fucked,” Ava snarls. “Jo, I’m getting your phone from your pocket. Don’t move.”

My phone? What does she need my phone for?

There’s a gentle shifting of fabric as she fishes my phone out of my coat pocket, never touching me.

“Yeah, hey. You don’t know me, and I have no clue what you’re up to with Jo, but she needs your help.” Ava’s talking to someone, her voice full of agitation. Who did she call? My stomach sinks. No. She wouldn’t.

“Hang on. I’ll drop a pin on the map and send you our location.”

“Ava. What have you done?” Piper asks.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

18

ROMAN

“You’re leaking shadows,” Bram says as we walk back to my car. Fuck, he’s right.

I’m practically bursting with energy after our coven’s new moon ceremony. I pull my magic back in, struggling to control the immense power. It’s not usually this bad.

The main Blackthorn family magic is control over shadows. We can snuff out any light and conceal a room in complete darkness with a snap of our fingers. I have some control over elemental magic as well. Summoning fire is the easiest for me. Then there’s the Blackthorn soul-rending magic. It’s rarely used, and most of the family hasn’t been able to tap into this power, but Bram and I can. It’s different for each of us, but it stems from the same ability.

If I wanted to, I could pull the souls out of every person I meet. It would be an instant death. Bram, on the other hand, can suck the magic out of someone like a soul vampire. We’re a lot of fun at dinner parties.

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