Page 6 of Soul of a Witch

We jumped as the door was shoved open. My father stood there, his eyes alternating between us, his brows drawn sharply together.

“I need to speak with you, Heidi,” he said. “Alone. Now.”

She followed my father back down the hall, to the vacant courtroom. The rest of the congregation was leaving, the somber silence of the crowd saying more than words ever could. No one dared to walk to their cars alone. They went in twos and threes, huddled together, glancing cautiously into the deep shadows beneath the trees.

As I waited for Mama to return, a sharp haunting cry pierced the night. Those who hadn’t yet left the building froze in place, glancing between each other, eyes wide with fear of what lurked in the dark. The Deep One wasn’t the only strange being to inhabit this town. Abelaum was like a vortex; the Veil was thin here, the presence of the Deep One attracting all manner of strange creatures. These creatures were not friendly; they were not the magical fairytale beasts from my childhood story books. They were predators, eternally ravenous, supernaturally strong. Humans made for easy prey.

“They should have eaten her.”

My sister’s voice made me flinch. Before I could turn, she slipped her arms around my waist, embracing me as if to comfort me, her chin resting on my shoulder. But her words were far from comforting.

“Father said it would take powerful magic to hide Juniper from the Eld beasts. Even Leon couldn’t find her.” She smelled like artificial vanilla, her acrylic nails tapping lightly against my collarbone as she held me close. “How is that possible, Ev? Hm? Because the only people in the family with powerful magic are Dad…and your mother.”

She laughed as I jerked away from her hold, drawing my sweater tighter around myself. Less than seventy-two hours ago, she had led Juniper into the forest. She’d given her LSD, waited until the hallucinations took hold, then led Juniper straight to St. Thaddeus.

She’d betrayed her best friend out of loyalty to God. She hadn’t even flinched when Juniper screamed. She hadn’t cried. It was uncanny, but my sister had always been good at playing her part.

It was impossible to know who she truly was. She was fifteen, yet she wore her emotions like masks, picking and choosing at will.

“What are you trying to say?” Even at a low volume, my voice felt too loud. Italwaysfelt too loud. But I was meant to be seen and not heard.

She smiled at me tightly, as if the action pained her.

“Maybe I’m not saying anything at all,” she said innocently. “Maybe I’m just trying to figure out where the hell we went wrong.” She stepped closer, that strange expression still frozen on her face. “But you know what? I think I figured it out. Dad made a mistake, sixteen years ago, when he decided to fuck your whore mother.”

The words speared into my chest. Victoria waved her hand dismissively, her voice taking on a breezy tone as she said, “But mistakes happen, and God sees them. It will make sure those mistakes are taken care of.” She reached up, delicately touching a strand of my blonde hair; a mirror image of my mother’s. “You’ll never be the daughter he wanted. No matter how hard your mother tries to sabotage me. Maybe you should start giving some thought to who is going to protect you when she’s gone. Mommy won’t be around forever.”

“It’s time to leave, girls,” Meredith called sharply, waving to us from down the hall. Victoria flicked her brown hair over her shoulder as she turned away, but I remained where I was. Mama was still talking to my father, and part of me didn’t want to leave her alone with him.

Victoria’s words kept echoing in my head.

Who is going to protect you when she’s gone?

Within two short years, I had my answer. When Mama took her own life, she left me alone.

And there was no one at all who could protect me.

3

Everly

Earth - Present Day

Fog rolled around my ankles like ocean waves. The forest was dark, but moonlight fell through the pine needles in broken shafts. The dirt was cool beneath my bare feet as I walked, aimless, beneath the trees.

The night was silent. The creatures of the woods fled before me; the crickets’ song fell silent.

My prey was close. Her breathing was harsh, quick with terror. Her steps were loud and clumsy. She shot panicked glances over her shoulder, growing more frantic every time she saw me.

No matter how fast she ran, it would not be fast enough.

Her boot caught on a tree root, and she tripped, sprawling to the ground. She pushed herself up, facing me, whispering frantically, “Please, Everly. Please, don’t do this.”

Her glasses had cracked in the fall. Her palms were bloody as she held them up pleadingly.

My chest was hollow and cold. Something was scratching at the inside of my skull, pressing at the back of my eyes. A voice whispered in my head, harsh and demanding, “Kill her. Kill her. Kill her.”

The knife in my hand caught the moonlight and glinted. I knew what I needed to do.

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