In Shadows of Magic Read online

  "I'm always hurting." The words spilled out.

  "Always? Why?"

  "I'm a fake." The confession felt cathartic, like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "I don't know what's real or fake about me anymore. I don't know who my friends are, who cares about me, or who hates me. It seems like there are people that hate me enough they want me dead."

  "Mandy, I care about you. You know that. If you need anyone, I'm always here."

  Mandy nodded. "I know." And she did know…or was Logan only bewitched as well? "It's so hard sometimes. Never knowing who's real. I'm not even real."

  Logan's eyebrows bunched together. "Why aren't you real?"

  The tears flowed down her face like rushing rapids. "It's too hard to explain. Everyone always expects so much of me. I guess I just got used to being what they wanted me to be."

  "Mandy, you don't have to live up to anyone's expectations other than your own."

  Mandy shook her head. "Yes, I do. You don't understand."

  "What don't I understand?"

  "How much more it hurts to let them down."

  "Forget them. Just be yourself and enjoy your life. You don't need their approval."

  If only it were that simple. I'm nothing without their approval.

  Soft fur pressed against Mandy's leg. Two pairs of yellow eyes stared up at her. "Rambo and Cheshire!" Mandy stroked Batman's brother and sister. "Remember when we found them in that old abandoned shed in the woods? They were so small. Brianna and Batman fell in love at first sight."

  "Of course I remember. That was so much fun."

  When Logan leaned over to pet the cats, his glasses slipped off his face and crashed onto the floor. Mandy laughed as she picked up the clunky frames. "These glasses were always too big for your face." She peered into his beautiful hazel eyes, so light that they were almost amber, surrounded by long, black lashes. "Wow! Your eyes are gorgeous. It's a shame you hide them."

  Logan’s cheeks turned rosy pink. "Thanks." His happiness reflected in his eye color as it melded into a mixture of bronze and gold. Tiny green and copper flecks embedded within the irises sparkled. "It seems like it's been a tough day for you. Let's scrap the science project for tonight. Want to just hang out and rent some funny movies?"

  Mandy's phone vibrated and Chad's picture appeared on the screen. She pressed the ignore button. "Sure, sounds great. How about some video games, too?"

  "Only if you're okay with losing!" Logan's goofy grin was infectious.

  "We'll see about that!"

  Chapter Nine

  That Monday, Valerie was not surprised when her presence went unnoticed. None of her usual friends said "hello" or even acknowledged her.

  As the weeks passed, she spent each day researching throughout her lunch hour. To her dismay, the school library didn't carry a vast collection on witchcraft. Valerie searched the Internet but couldn't find the information she sought. She did discover a store website that caught her eye. Margie's Enchantments was located in New York City's East Village. Reviews of the store read, "Friendly and knowledgeable staff" and "A vast collection of spell books and magic tools. A great resource for any witch."

  After school, Valerie plugged in her GPS and entered the address she had found on the Internet. Following the thirty-minute drive, she walked briskly and with purpose from her parking spot to the store. There were no windows in the storefront. A hand-painted sign that read Margie's Enchantments hung above an old wooden door.

  Valerie pushed open the heavy door. Silver bells jangled overhead. She entered a small, rectangular room. Dark wooden shelves replete with books, candles, incense, and other trinkets lined the ecru-colored walls.

  "Hello." A pretty college-aged girl sat behind a long, glass display case along the center of the back wall. Crystals and other colorful stones sparkled on shelves behind the glass. The girl's brown hair was parted in the middle and fell in gentle waves past her waist. Her big brown eyes glimmered behind long black lashes. "I'm Renee. Welcome to Margie's Enchantments. How can I help you?" Her tone was soft and warm.

  "Hi, I'm Valerie. I'm looking for a spell book."

  "Nice to meet you. We have plenty of those." Renee gestured to the right wall. "If you have any questions, let me know." She tilted her chin down to read the thick leather-bound book open in front of her.

  "Okay. Thanks." Valerie crossed the room and browsed the shelf Renee had indicated. She picked up a book titled Practical Spells for the Modern Teen Witch and opened to the first page. To Bring Good Fortune onto a Loved One. Rolling her eyes, she flipped the page. To Promote World Peace. Valerie continued to leaf through the pages until she found a spell that caught her interest. To Become Irresistible to Boys. Valerie read with laser-like intensity. Halfway down the page, her brow furrowed. "Excuse me, Renee, I have a question."

  As Renee walked over, her beige bohemian-style dress billowed out behind her. "How can I help you?" she asked in her soft tone. Her dangly star-and-moon earrings tinkled.

  "This line." Valerie pointed. "What does it mean?"

  Renee read aloud. “’While summoning the internal power within.' Okay, witches have innate power. They can access it when they need it, or when they're working a spell."

  "I'm not sure how to do that."

  "It's difficult to explain, but if you have the power, you can feel it."

  "Does everyone have the power?"

  "Not everyone. Certain people are born with the power. These are the people that are referred to as 'witches.'"

  "Well, how do I become a witch?"

  "It isn't that simple. People can't just become witches because they decide to. It generally runs in families."

  Valerie stared at the floor, disappointment temporarily weakening her resolve.

  Renee's eyes were full of empathy. "I'm sorry, Valerie, but there is hope. Even if there's a distant relative in your family that has a little supernatural power, there's a chance you could have inherited some. You might not even know it, but if you practice, you might find you have some abilities. Some of my customers have had this experience. I highly recommend this book." Renee deftly removed a thick hardcover from the shelf. In the blink of an eye, the book was placed in Valerie's hands. The cover depicted a woman seated cross-legged with her eyes closed and a glowing circle of light in her chest. Above the woman, bold, black letters read Accession: A Complete Guide to Finding the Magic Within.

  "I have to warn you. Without close genetic ties, it will be a lot of hard work. It can take months, even years of practice."

  "But there's only one more year of high school!" Valerie said. "Is there any way for a person to create their own power? Or a way for a person to obtain another person's power?"

  "In the case of witch power, it is an energy that cannot be created or destroyed. It just is. It exists and it's born within. I would never rule anything out, because I always believe anything is possible, but there is no way I know of to create that kind of power." Renee paused for a moment. "There are ways to obtain the power. But transmission of power to a person whose body is not accustomed to harboring it is dangerous. It could result in instant death. Not to mention, it is unethical."

  Valerie didn't give a rat's tail about ethics. "What are these ways?"

  "There are two known ways to do this. Transference and evulsion. In transference, a witch willingly transmits or gives part or all of her power to another. In evulsion, power is forcibly taken from a witch without her consent. There are only a few individuals who have completed these methods and survived. The safest would be transference, but good luck finding a witch willing to participate. As I explained before, a witch's power cannot be created or destroyed. If a witch transfers some of her power to another, she is, in effect, diminishing her own strength."

  "I see. Why is it that transference is safer than evulsion?"

  "With transference, the transferor and the receiver are both participants, and they can communicate with one another. The witch can transfer a very small amoun
t of power to the receiver, small enough amount that the receiver's body won't go into shock and die. With evulsion, there is less control over how much power is taken. Just a little bit too much could mean instantaneous death for the receiver.

  "The one time I have ever heard of an evulsion being accomplished was when a strong, good witch used this method to divest an evil witch of her powers. In this case, the evulsion was permissible. Evulsion of power from a witch of good caliber is admonished in the supernatural community. If any human or witch evulsed power from a good witch for their own benefit, they would be facing a backlash. The supernatural community would see death as a proper punishment for such an offense. But to my knowledge, this has never happened. Evulsion is a difficult process to complete."

  Valerie placed the hardcover Renee had recommended back on the shelf. She slid out a paperback titled Transference and Evulsion. Renee raised her eyebrows but remained quiet.

  Valerie put the paperback book on top of the spell book already in her arms. "I'd like to buy both of these."

  Runs in families, Valerie thought. An image appeared in Valerie's mind of a pretty girl with long, black hair and deep blue eyes with a guitar slung over her shoulder. Before she had even stepped out of the magic store, her mind was working overtime. Valerie would have all she coveted, no matter the danger to herself or the cost to others.

  Chapter Ten

  Brianna was bored again in Mr. Miller's ninth-period History class. The second hand on the wall clock ticked as her teacher's monotone droned in the background. Well, it was a good thing she had other things to distract her. Brianna gazed across the room at a tall, athletic boy. His chiseled features included big brown eyes and dimples—yummy.

  The bell rang. Students jumped from their seats and darted toward the door.

  "That was a nice nap." Eva stretched in the desk next to Brianna. "I just can't stay awake to hear all the lies. Every year on Columbus Day we celebrate a despicable man who enslaved and killed Native Americans. If Columbus was a woman, that never would have happened. I can probably count on two hands how many women are mentioned in our textbook. Once we're up to the Suffrage Movement, I'll be paying attention."

  "Hmmmm?" Brianna stared across the room. Eva followed her best friend's gaze.

  "Bri, I just caught you looking at Chad!"

  "What? No way!" Brianna averted her eyes and placed her books in her bag.

  "You can't fool me. You've been in love with him since kindergarten, even before it was cool to be in love with him." The girls strolled out of the classroom. "If you ask me, that was pretty messed up for Mandy to go out with him."

  Brianna shrugged. "I told her to go for it." When Mandy had first mentioned that Chad had asked her out, Brianna hadn't known what else to say. Even if she had told Mandy it bothered her, she was sure her sister would have dated him anyhow. It seemed like her twin had stopped caring about Brianna and her feelings the day they had entered high school.

  "Still, though. That wasn't just a little crush. You've doodled hearts and his name all over your notebook ever since you learned how to use a crayon."

  "Whatever. That's life. It happens. I'm happy for her. I'll see you at band practice." Brianna walked to the end of the hallway, opened her locker, and tried to remember which books she needed for her homework. On top of the contents of her locker, she found a folded piece of red construction paper. Tentatively, Brianna unfolded it. The cryptic message was written in black marker.

  Dear Brianna,

  I know it's been a while, but we need to catch up. It's important. Meet me after school in the parking lot after the buses have left. It would mean a lot to me.

  -Valerie Baron

  P.S. Do not tell your sister.

  The P.S. was laughable. As if she could even find her sister to tell her anything. Although they lived together, Brianna hadn’t seen more than a glimpse of Mandy in weeks. She was always off at practice, games, or parties with her cool friends. Brianna read the note twice, trying to decipher its meaning. She hadn't spoken to Valerie in years. What could be so important?

  Curiosity got the best of her. From the far corner of the parking lot, Brianna watched her bus drive away. Five minutes later, a gold car pulled up alongside Brianna. The passenger side window rolled down, and a voice called out, "Get in."

  Brianna opened the door and peered inside the car. Valerie's light green fitted T-shirt matched her eyes. Her pressed white tennis skirt showed off her tan legs.

  "What's this all about?" Brianna demanded. She hoped this wasn't some kind of practical joke.

  Valerie's eyeballs moved around frantically from left to right. She looked over her shoulder as if she were afraid someone might be watching them. "Just get in."

  Brianna rolled her eyes. This is bizarre. She got in the car and closed the door.

  "Hey, Bri! It's great to see you. I like your, um…" Valerie paused and eyed the band around Brianna's wrist. "Spiky thing. Is that real leather?"

  "No, but they are real spikes."

  "Oh, um, okay. I've missed you," Valerie cajoled as they drove out of the parking lot.

  This is too weird. What does Valerie want with me?

  Seven minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of Valerie's home. Brianna hadn't been there since she and Mandy had been kids, and they'd all used to play together. The Baron residence was as impressive as she remembered, with large white pillars evenly spaced in front of the brick Colonial. The girls entered through the heavy mahogany door with its fancy beveled windows and removed their shoes. The smooth cotton of Brianna's socks slid against the polished marble floors as they crossed the vestibule. They ascended the cherry wood stairs toward Valerie's bedroom.

  Valerie's shiny black furniture stood out against the gold walls but blended into the ebony carpet. The king-sized bed displayed a gold-and-black floral print bedspread. Valerie gestured for Brianna to sit on the bed.

  "I'll stand. Listen, I don't have much time. Can we cut to the chase already?"

  Valerie reached under her bed, retrieved a thick book, and handed it to Brianna. The cover read : Practical Spells for the Modern Teen Witch. Brianna’s heart skipped a beat. Could Valerie have found out?

  "What is this? The Modern Teen Witch? You can't be serious." Brianna did her best to act disinterested.

  "I know about your sister's powers. You must know, too."

  "I have no idea what you're talking about. And I would appreciate if you would take me home right now. I don't have time for nonsense." Brianna crossed her arms and stared at the ceiling.

  "I don't think it's fair. Mandy acts like she rules the school. She has all the fun and doesn't care about anyone else. Haven't you noticed?"

  Brianna pressed her lips together. She tightened her arms and tapped her foot.

  Valerie persisted. "I've been suspicious something wasn't right about Mandy for a long time now. I mean, it just didn't make sense someone could be that incredible at everything."

  Brianna had known someone would notice eventually. Mandy was so careless. And now the family secret was in jeopardy. Her own twin had put her vanity before her sister and their entire family.

  "I always noticed little things. Like when she runs, her feet don't touch the ground. It's like she's floating on air. Or how she can wake up in the morning looking like a total wreck and look ready for the runway two minutes later. Or how boys throw themselves at her daily, humiliating themselves over and over again. And I never forgot that time on the playground, when Mandy jumped as high as the monkey bars, even though my mother tried to convince me that I must have imagined it. I was suspicious, but I needed proof. So one day, while Mandy was distracted by all of her idolizers, I reached into her backpack. And I found her diary."

  Brianna's heart thumped. Could Mandy have been stupid as to keep a diary?

  "I brought the diary home that night and read the entire thing, cover to cover. It contained detailed explanations of how she bewitches all of us. She thinks she's better than ever
yone in Montmorrow."

  Waves of nausea swept over Brianna as her lunch sloshed in her stomach. She felt the blood drain from her face. She knew that her sister had a superiority complex. But to document it? That was out of control.

  "I confronted her, and she was furious. She warned me to never tell anyone. She threatened to harm me if I did. Next thing I know, no one will talk to me at school. She's made me an outcast, and I'm lonely."

  Why was Valerie telling her all of this? They hadn't been friends in years.

  "So I started doing research about witches and discovered power runs in families. I started thinking, why does Mandy get to have all the fun while I'm an outcast? Just because I found out the truth? I promise, Brianna, I will never tell your secret to a soul. I told Mandy that too, but she didn't care. I told her I admired her for her powers and I wanted to try some witchcraft together. But Mandy didn't want any part of that. We were best friends for all those years. Even though she used her powers to beat me out of every prize and competition I trained so hard for, she wouldn't even agree to try a little spell with me. She loves being better than everyone else. She doesn't want anyone else to have any fun. But I don't think that's fair, do you?"

  Valerie was right. It wasn't fair Mandy used her powers to win the attention and admiration of the entire student body. It wasn't fair she bewitched every boy in the school. It wasn't fair her sister could have anyone, yet she'd chosen to date the boy Brianna had a crush on.

  "So, all I'm saying is that we could try a few spells together. Just some innocent fun. Maybe we should be the ones to enjoy ourselves once in a while. You have the power, why don't you use it?"

  Valerie opened up the spell book. "There's this one spell in here that can enhance musical talent. I noticed you play the guitar. Wouldn't it be great to use the spell to help your playing? And then there's this other spell for becoming irresistible to boys. Wouldn't that be fun?"