Page 1 of Lila

Chapter 1

Lila

“HowwasIsupposedto know the high priestess was the one that cursed the mayor? I don’t seeeverything, ya know,” I grumble as my mom paces the floor. I swear she would wear a hole through the wood but if it hasn’t happened yet, it never will.

“You know you don’t always have to tell people when you see curses. You could just mind your own business. If it’s not affecting you, just leave it alone. But noooo. Lila has to be the perfect little helper,” she rants before returning to an angry mutter.

“Sorry, you raised me better than that,” I scoff.

Sighing, her feet slow to a stop and she turns to me with a sad smile. “I know I did. It’s absolutely my fault you’re such an amazing person. I take full blame for you being the extraordinary witch you are.”

“So humble,” I chuckle with a roll of my eyes.

“Give credit where credit’s due, my dear.” She pats my cheek and I laugh, despite the dire situation I find myself in.

I noticed the black swirling through him this morning. It was a fresh curse. No more than a day old. I would have been able to tell more about it the longer I studied it, but Mr. Hart caught me staring at him. Unfortunately, he’d seen me study curses before so he knew with just one look why I was staring. There was no lying my way out of it.

“But now, Victoria’s sycophants are on a rampage. We need to get you out of here before they find you. Just until everything dies down.”

“Sure. So, where are you going to send me?”

She chews her lip as she contemplates and my phone starts playingIf you go down, I’m goin’ down too.Grabbing it off the counter with a smile, I swipe to answer.

“My hands ain’t clean,” I sigh into the phone.

“Are they ever?” she chuckles. “I heard someone got the high priestess arrested. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“No? Why would I know about that?” I scoff.

“Is that, Lavender? Tell her we miss her. Oh! That’s it! Go see Lav! Then you won’t be alone while you’re in hiding and no one will know where to look for you because Lavender spelled everyone to forget about her. They wouldn’t even think you’d go to her.”

“In hiding?” Lav demands. “You’re inhiding? What happened?”

“You know Cybil and Nicole won’t let me get away with damaging the coven’s reputation like that.”

“You think they’re going to retaliate? What the hell are you still doing there? Tell me you have protections!”

“Of course, I do. We’re at the store. It has so many spells on it, there’s no way they’ll get through.”

“Good. Now get your ass over here and I’ll protect you from the big bad coven.”

“Put her on speaker. This is a complicated spell. I’m going to need the three of us to cast it,” Mom says as she flips through one of her many spell books.

Doing as I’m told because the last thing I want is to end up missing vital body parts when I show up at Lav’s, I turn the phone to speaker.

Mom uses her phone to take a picture of her book and then carries it to the table. After placing the book next to my phone, she fiddles with hers then sighs. “Lavender, dear? I sent you a picture of the spell. We all need to say it at the same time. Let me know if you need help with any of the words. Romanian can be difficult to read in person, let alone through a picture.”

“I’ve got it, Ms. Thorn.” Any thoughts I had of being dismembered by the spell ease at her confident tone.

“Good. Lila?”

Oh crap! I have to read it too. Guess I should take a look at the book. Standing next to my mom, I read over the spell a few times until I’m certain I won’t fuck it up.

“Okay,” I finally nod, making her sigh in relief.

“In four-one cadence,” Mom instructs.

The foreign words flow from my mouth like second nature and I feel the magic settle on me like a comforting blanket. As soon as the last word is spoken, I appear in a bright room with plants hanging from the ceiling, my mother nowhere in sight.

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