Page 23 of Sophie's Ruin
Of course, it is.
“Very well,” I said, squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin. “I’ll see you later.”
If it was between me and my magic, then maybe I could speed things up. Celeste not coming with me was a good thing because then she wouldn’t be there to hold me back.
Rising from my seat at the table, I crossed the short hallway to the living room and then stepped outside into the cool night air. It washed over me like a caress, and I inhaled deeply, breathing it in. The primal side of me reared her head, beckoned by the darkness, and my blood began to hum, answering the call.
My muscles tensed with the need to dash into the woods, to join the other wild creatures roaming there and go on a hunt. My fangs throbbed with the need to sink them into something, and my stomach hollowed out as hunger surged. I quickly tamped it down. I needed the witch inside of me to rise to the surface tonight, not the vampire. I patted my pockets, feeling the amulet in one and the hex bag in the other and set off toward the tree line with supernatural speed.
The dark woods rushed by as I ran through them, carefully avoiding gnarled roots and twisted branches. When my ears popped and magic snapped around me as if I’d broken through some kind of a barrier, I knew I must have left the warded area surrounding Celeste’s cottage. The intense pins-and-needles sensation stopped me in my tracks, and I shook out my limbs and rolled my neck before resuming my journey.
I didn’t know where I was going until I heard it. Water. A gentle whisper of a shallow stream flowing over stones tickledmy ears, and I adjusted my course, heading in the direction of the sound. I halted when I reached a small creek, the bottom part of my tied hair swooshing around me to catch up from the movement. The Forest creatures that had kept their distance until now because I’d been sprinting too fast, slithered in the shadows all around me, watching me with glowing red eyes and snapping at me with gleaming sharp teeth. They didn’t advance, though, as if I had my own warded barrier around me. The hex bag must be working.
Suppressing a shudder, I turned from the woods and approached the creek, stopping by one of the trees. The skinny trunk sat at an angle, its roots trying desperately to hold on to the abrupt and rocky bank. The low-hanging branches reminded me of slim, knotted fingers as they drooped over the water, skimming the silvery currents sparkling in the glow of the moon.
As good place as any to tap into my magic,I thought, planting my feet firmly into the ground and closing my eyes.
Sounds and scents assaulted my senses, but I pushed them aside, focusing instead on the rushing of blood in my veins. I tried to find the magic within. Power coursed through me; it was only a matter of distinguishing and plucking it out of my essence. Vampire, human, and witch were all intertwined inside me, and I needed to learn to single out the part of me I needed the most so I could use it to my advantage.
Easier said than done.
I stood unmoving by the creek for quite some time, my eyes closed and my breathing even. I couldn’t feel it. I couldn’t feel the magic in my blood or discern the energy around me, let alone tap into it. With a rough exhale, I opened my eyes and dragged a hand down my face. Failing. I was failing at the time when Henry needed me the most.
The sound of a twig snapping alerted me to the presence behind me. Whirling around, I crouched down and bared my fangs with a hiss.
“Whoa!” the young man in front of me exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m not a danger to you. I live in the village.”
Slowly, I straightened from my crouch and retracted the claws that had snapped out at the sound of a threat.
The man before me instantly relaxed, lowering his hands and extending one of them to me.
“I’m Damien,” he introduced himself in a smooth, rich voice.
“Sophie.” I shook his hand, noticing his flinch at my cool touch even though he’d tried to hide it. “I didn’t see you at the bonfire,” I told him, taking in his pale blond, almost white hair and dark eyes that were a striking contrast to his alabaster skin.
“I was too drunk on mead and passed out early at my friend’s house,” the man said, embarrassment coloring his cheeks a bright red shade. “Don’t tell my mother,” he added hastily. “I know I’m a grown man, but she doesn’t like it when I drink.” I opened my mouth to tell him I didn’t know his mother when he continued, “My mother Agatha is good friends with Celeste, so please don’t tell her either. In fact, I wouldn’t tell her about our meeting at all. She has given strict orders to leave you alone.”
My brows pinched in confusion. “Leave me alone? Why?”
Damien shrugged. “Something about letting you come into your own power. Celeste wants you to forge your own path without anyone giving you direction.”
“I don’t have time to forge my own path.” I blew out a breath of frustration. “I just need answers.”
“Well, did Celeste explain anything to you about our magic?” Damien asked, angling his head with a look of curiosity on his narrow and angular face. The straight fringe of his hair shifted to one side when he did so.
“She didn’t give me much to go on,” I told him. “She said my magic is a part of me, but it has been dormant, so I need to bring it forth.”
“And did she tell you how to accomplish that?”
“Well, no, not exactly. She said being close to nature helps. That’s how I ended up here,” I said with a sweeping arm gesture.
“I see,” Damien replied. He quickly glanced behind his shoulder as if he wanted to make sure we were alone. When he turned back to me, a mischievous look settled into his features. “Tying your magic to your emotions helps sometimes when you’re first starting out,” he said quietly, as if sharing a secret.
“What do you mean?” I tilted my head to the side.
“You feel frustrated about not being able to awaken your powers, right? Channel that frustration to bring your magic forth.”
A memory invaded my mind about how I’d defeated the Dark Witches. I had channeled the power of love to activate the Tear. Perhaps I could do something similar to stir my magic awake.
