MY SISTER SLIPPED in the door—hair ratted up in back and shirt misbuttoned. Her disguise was gone, though her hair seemed a shade or two darker than before. I wondered briefly what Sariah looked really looked like. Did she have a true appearance? She raised a brow at me. I remembered that what I felt of other’s emotions when I touched them was like a candle next to the sun when compared to what she could feel.
Mom had dinner on the table. We served ourselves in silence, and I wrinkled my nose as I sipped my milk. I wished for soda that tasted sugary and sweet, not bitter with man-made chemicals. Nate eyed me with a knowing smile, making a face at his own milk before pointedly casting a longing glance at Xander’s Coke. I smiled back and started picking at my chicken.
The atmosphere in the dining room was light, as if we were a normal family sitting down for a normal dinner. I sat next to my father at the head of the table with my mother on my right and Nate directly across from me. Xander sat next to him and Sariah at the opposite end. It felt natural to be gathered like this, even with the addition of Nate. I wondered if things were about to change forever, but I dismissed that thought. Tonight was about sharing the warmth of my family, not dread and regret. We were all going to make it through this ok—we had to.
Once the dishes cleared away it was time to get down to business. I wished to prolong the happy moment, basking in the glow that was my family’s love. However, with no small amount of dread, I dove in.
“You know about Mariah and Crystal being killed,” I began, looking at each of them in turn. Even Nate nodded, and I glanced at my brother wondering how much he had shared. Xander shrugged at me with a sheepish grin, and I turned back to the conversation. “And the news made sure the world knew about the others, but they weren’t the first.” I looked down, knowing I was probably going to disappoint them with my next statement. Taking a deep breath and squaring my shoulders, I met my father’s eyes. “Last night I snuck out and went to Evelyn’s. She agreed to come over today to answer some questions. I thought she might have something to do with the murders.” My father didn’t react at all, and I wondered what exactly Xander told them. He was protective of me, but sometimes I had to remind myself that didn’t always mean he kept my secrets. “She told us she’s a witch, and she’s been helping her parents with the killings.”
“That’s not entirely accurate,” Xander interrupted, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a wry smile. “You ran out before she finished. She helped up until Mariah. After that, Evelyn rebelled against her parents and refused to help them—though they tried to make her. When she kept refusing, her mother did some sort of ritual that lets her drain Evelyn’s magic. See, Nancy isn’t a witch. She studied Wicca and witchcraft but discovered none of that was real.”
Mom nodded. “True witchcraft is an inborn ability. There aren’t a lot of spells and rituals like on television—though some use them. An object is bestowed with power because a witch puts power into it. A symbol is just a drawing if the witch doesn’t mean anything by it. She could doodle pentagrams all day, but if she did it while concentrating on it protecting her, that’s what it will be.”
“What would it mean if I say she cut herself during the ritual?” I asked.
“It would probably mean she was trying to add power to her spell. A witch’s power runs through her veins, so adding blood always makes things more effective.”
I frowned, wondering what Evelyn could have been doing when I interrupted. I didn’t speculate long before Xander jumped in. “Is this about what she was doing when you saw her yesterday, Lia? She told me after you left. Apparently, Evelyn's been doing magic on Amelia all year.” Mom’s eyes widened, and Xander faltered.
“All year? That must be what set off the transformation so early! A witch’s power could easily mess with the natural forces, and we are no exception.” Mom’s eyes were sad, and I wondered if she’d know Evelyn was a witch—or perhaps that her dad was. Mom looked at Xander. “Did she say what she was doing?”
“Apparently, she was trying to keep her parents from figuring out what Amelia was. So she hid Amelia from them. But that also meant she had to keep Amelia away from them. Apparently, when you guys were at the mall Mrs. Matthews got hold of some pictures of Lia and Sariah. Evelyn has been using protection magic on her ever since—basically making her own magic useless against Amelia.”
“Sariah, what did you find out?” I asked.
“The police are stumped. They know the crimes are linked, but they think the later ones look like a copycat of the first four. The symbols were a little altered each time, though each incorporated a pentagram. And all the victims’ wrists were zip tied together. The stake was plunged with such force it was driven into their hearts in a single motion—not an easy feat. There has to be something Otherworldly going on. They think the killer is escalating. The latest victim was torn to pieces.” We were silent for a moment, our eyes wide in horror. I couldn’t imagine the kind of hate it would take for someone to actually tear another person apart.
Xander took over again. “Evelyn is killing herself trying to stop them, but it’s barely slowing ‘em down. They’re being driven by pure hatred. Her mom’s drawing deeper and deeper from her. She was getting pretty weak while we were talking, then she suddenly bolted out of here.”
I was so upset when I left all I could think of was her part in the murders. It never occurred to me that maybe, in her own way, she wanted to stop this as much as I did. It was hard for me to move past the fact that she was killing people, but I briefly tried to put myself in her place. Would I blindly trust my parents? My jaw was tight, and I closed my eyes for a moment. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly and reopened my eyes to see everyone looking at me with pity. For some reason that made me angry, but I reined it in and tried to focus.
“We can’t leave Evelyn with them. Maybe if we get her somewhere safe, her parents won’t be as strong?” Mom glanced at Dad, and I realized she really didn’t know what to do—and that terrified me. My mom always knew what to do.
Dad shrugged and looked thoughtful. Finally he gave a slow nod, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. “I know of a coven in Springfield that could probably help her. Obviously we’ll have to be careful because the human world won’t understand and will only see us as kidnappers.”
“If they catch us, could we go to jail?” I asked in horror.
“Don’t worry, Lia, there are… beings who look out for Otherworld events. Keep the humans from getting too close.” Mom patted my hand, but I didn’t feel reassured.
“Then shouldn’t they be handling this?” I wanted to help my friend, but I couldn’t let my family risk themselves, could I?
“It doesn’t work like that. They don’t get involved with Otherworlder events. They just keep humans from looking too closely at us.” My dad scratched his beard, something he did unconsciously while thinking hard. “If the police had an Otherworlder as a suspect, the Enforcers would be involved.”
“Many of the cases taken over by federal agents involve Otherworldly events,” Xander took over. “For example, those New York detectives put together the Smiley Face Killer and all of a sudden the feds sweep in and it disappears. That’s how the Enforcers work. No one even knows except Otherworlders.”
“So if we get caught taking Evelyn, they’ll help us get away with it?”
“Not exactly.” Mom said. “There'd be an official tribunal that would determine our punishment, and Evelyn would be returned to her parents.”
“But if they don’t get involved, why would they punish us?” I asked.
My dad put his hand on my cheek and smiled. “They wouldn’t punish us for kidnapping; they would punish us for getting caught. The number one rule of living amongst humans is don’t let them catch us.”
I sat a moment, thinking that one through before Nate interrupted my thought process. “Should we chance it? Maybe the best answer is to just leave town.”
“No, we can’t do that!” I prote
sted. I was disgusted by what Evelyn had done, but that didn’t mean I wanted to leave her with her parents. God only know what they would do to her. They’d already shown themselves capable of horrific violence. I had to do what I could to help her, with or without my family.
“Don’t worry, baby. It’s ok.” Mom put her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “We’re not going to leave her there. Nate, you don’t have to be part of this if you don’t want to. We won’t think any less of you if you’d rather leave.”
Nate met my brother’s eyes for a long moment. I could see the blue flames dancing across them, causing his eyes to glow. After a long moment, Nate’s eyes fell on me. My heart sped up as his eyes begged me to change my mind, but my jaw locked stubbornly. I would not be budged, no matter how he tried to persuade me.
With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Nate spoke in a hard voice. “I guess I’m in.”
“I think we should come up with a plan,” Sariah said quietly.
“I’ll call Evey and ask her to come over. By the time anyone suspects anything, she’ll be in Springfield.” I said with a shrug. My family wasn’t exactly happy with it, but since no one had a better idea, I dialed the familiar number with a slight tremor in my hand. Monica answered after the fourth ring. I cleared my throat and tried to make my voice normal as I could, but it still sounded tight and strained as I asked for Evelyn.
“Evelyn can’t come to the phone,” she said in her Carol Brady voice. “But I’ll be sure to tell her you called.”
“Please, Mrs. Matthews, it’s really important that I speak to her.”
“She’s is a little tied up at the moment. Maybe you should worry more about yourself.”
Her tone held a hard edge that scared me a little, but I had to try one last time. “I swear it’s a matter of life or death, or I wouldn’t ask. Can I please speak to her?”
“You don’t need to worry about Evelyn anymore. You need to butt out and leave me to deal with my own daughter.”
My hands suddenly turned cold as they gripped the phone tighter. I had no idea what to say and could only swallow audibly. When I spoke again, my voice was weak and shaky. “What are you going to do to her?”
“None of your concern. She's mine to deal with as I see fit. But she has been a very naughty girl, now hasn’t she?” Monica’s voice made my breath catch in my throat. Her innuendo terrified me, and I couldn’t form a logical thought. I stammered for a second then slammed the phone in its cradle, but not before I heard her blood chilling laugh.
My family staring at me expectantly as I turned. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, but it did nothing to relieve the heaviness in my stomach. “I think we’re gonna need a different plan.”