Page 65 of These Witches Don't Burn
I gingerly accept a small vial of blood from Lady Ariana and follow Veronica to the side of the yard. She sets the fireplace bellows on the ground and turns to me. “Whenever you’re ready. My binding tattoo hasn’t worn off yet.”
My phone buzzes against my leg again, and this time, with the adults busy elsewhere, I pull it out. “I’m not freezing blood. That’s disgusting.” I set the vial beside the bellows and wipe my fingers against my jeans, even though my skin only touched the glass. “Besides, it’s too late for us. The Hunter already knows who we are. There’s no point trying to be subtle. This magic is a waste of time.”Not to mention the stuff of nightmares.
Veronica rolls her eyes at me. “The subtlety isn’t for the Hunters. It’s to make sure we have a defense if we’re attacked in front of Regs. The last thing we need is further exposure.”
Heat burns my cheeks, but I’m not about to admit she’s right. Instead, I check my phone and find two messages waiting for me. One is from Gemma, no surprise there, but the other is from Cal. He must have gotten my number from Lauren. Maybe he needs to swap a shift.
“Oh, so your phone is working then.” Veronica’s voice is sharp, edged like a knife.
I glance up before I can read Cal’s message. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve been ignoring my texts since Saturday. Savannah is freaking out.”
“Forgive me for not giving a shit about your new girlfriend,” I snap. “I’ve been a little busy. You know, recovering from nearly drowning.”
Veronica sighs, and it’s like all the fight in her deflates. Her entire posture shifts, but I don’t trust the change. She’s played this card before. “I’m sorry, Han. I never meant for you to see us, but Savannah isn’t out yet. You can’t say anything. She won’t even talk to any of our other friends. She’s convinced her parents are going to find out.”
“And what? You thought I’d tell them?” Anger boils up inside me, and I don’t care if the entire coven overhears us. “I would never do that, and fuck you for thinking I would.” A few heads turn our way, but I don’t back down. “And it’s nice to know you’re capable of saying sorry. Even if it’s only when you want something from me.”
“Hannah—”
“Did it even occur to you that Savannah might be one of the Witch Hunters?” I ask. The shock on Veronica’s face, the quick denial that rises to her lips, stokes the embers of my rage. “She knows where you live. She’s been cozying up to you ever since the bonfire, and Lady Ariana said the Hunters would try to get close to us. I bet she saw you dampen the fire at Nolan’s party. I bet that’s when you screwed over the entire coven. All because you think you’re too damn good for the rules.”
Veronica doesn’t say anything. She purses her lips and lets tears slip down her cheeks, but I won’t be swayed by her hurt. She brought this on us. It’s her fault I almost died. Her fault Gemmaknows about what we can do. Her fault everything is falling apart around me.
I turn away and check my phone again. The text from Gemma is exactly what I expected, an announcement that she’s leaving the hospital and demanding I come over to explain. Guilt twists in my stomach. It may be Veronica’s fault this conversation has to happen, but I’m about to break coven rules, too. I text my best friend back, promising to come over as soon as myfamily thingis over.
The second text, the one from Cal, makes my skin go clammy. It’s not about work.
He managed to hack into my neighbor’s camera feed. I click on the attached video and watch the fuzzy scene unfold with growing dread. The camera doesn’t cover my house, but I see the SUV pull up across the street. Someone climbs out and walks offscreen with a brick in their hands. When they race back to the car, I catch a glimpse of their face. It’s fuzzy, but I’m not at all surprised when I recognize the smug expression.
Nolan.
19
SEEING NOLAN’S FACE STOPSme in my tracks. I’ve almost made it to the safety of Mom’s car, where I could hide until my parents came looking for me. Instead, I return to the backyard, searching for Detective Archer. He’s on his phone when I find him, talking in fierce, hushed tones. He hangs up when he sees me.
I show him the video—carefully sidestepping how I came to be in possession of such a thing. Cal just did me a solid; I’m not going to rat him out to the police. Archer pulls out his little notebook, and I give him all the information I know about Nolan. When I’m done, the detective slips his notes back into his suit jacket. He doesn’t seem convinced about Nolan’s guilt, but he promises to look into it and sends me back to my parents to practice the blasphemous magic.
My parents rightly assume being paired with Veronica didn’t go over well, and they walk me through the new magic. I’m terrible at it, partly because learning new magic is always difficult and partly because I don’twantto be able to do such things. Mom coaxes me through the techniques, and I promise to try if she’ll teach me to send messages with air magic.
She agrees, and when we get home that night—after I promise not to tell my grandmother—Mom lets me copy the explanation from her Book of Shadows, and I learn to create myfirst air message. This type of magic makes my bones sing with the very rightness of it.Thisis what the Middle Sister wanted for us, magic that works with the flow of nature. She didn’t want us stealing breath or freezing blood.
With the basics of my new communication method intact, I convince my parents to let me visit Gem, despite the darkening summer sky. Even if something happens to my phone, I’ll be able to get in touch, which is the fact that finally convinces them. Mom lets me borrow her car, and I’m on the road the second she hands over the keys.
When I finally get to Gemma’s house, I stand outside her door, afraid to knock. I’m grateful that Gemma stood up for me in the hospital, but I have no idea how that’s going to affect the way her parents treat me. Will they make a better effort? Will they be even more standoffish? My phone buzzes in my pocket. Gemma asking what’s taking me so long, or maybe Cal checking in. I never got a chance to text him back, but I can deal with that later. I suck in a breath and knock.
There’s movement inside, and the door swings open, revealing Mrs. Goodwin. After a moment of hesitation, she invites me in. “Gemma’s upstairs in her room. You know the way.” Her words aren’t overly warm, but at least she doesn’t remind me to keep the door open.
“Thanks, Mrs. G,” I say, and slip past her. Walking up the stairs to Gemma’s room has never been so hard. Even with days to prepare, I still have no idea what I’m going to say to her, but I have to say something. She saw me usingmagic, and she’s made it very clear that she remembers every last second of what happened.
Guilt twists knots in my stomach. My grandmother would be furious if she found out what I’m about to do. She’d send meto the Council without a second thought, especially with one of their agents in our midst.
“Hannah? Is that you?” Something creaks inside Gemma’s room, a sound I can’t place until her door swings open.Crutches.She leans heavily on the supports, her entire right leg consumed by her hot-pink cast.
Tears spill over my eyes. Seeing her like this, here in her room, is a million times worse than the hospital. It makes this nightmare so much more real. “My god, Gem. I’m so sorry.”
She glances down at herself. “I’m fine. Get your ass in here.” Gemma closes the door behind us. “How did you do that?” she asks, cutting right to the point. “You stopped the water. You unbent the door. How?”
