The 13th Witch Complete Trilogy (19 page)

I closed my eyes again, letting the magic bubble up to the surface. Once it was close, I pushed it into the wind, letting it whip around me. When I opened my eyes, Connor was pinned to a tree about twenty feet from me. I smiled and thought I caught a faint smile on his face as well, but could have been wrong.

I turned and glanced at Eric who was standing with his arms crossed in front of him. He looked as though he was happy with what he saw, but you could never be sure about anything with him.

“That’s enough for now.” Eric glanced from me back to Connor. “You walk her back to her room.” Connor had a look of pure terror on his face for just a second. I wondered if Eric saw it too or if that was the whole point of putting him in the same area as me.

Connor walked beside me to the house, but didn’t act as though he even wanted to say much. I decided to talk first.

“Is this how it’s going to be between us?” I said it and then wished I could take it back. He shot his gaze up to meet mine and sighed. It was like he was hiding something important and wanted to tell me, but was afraid of what I’d think or say.

“I just want to get to the full moon and then this will all be over,” he said, ripping his gaze from me. I felt as though I’d been knocked in the head.

“What do you mean, the next full moon?” I thought for a moment.
What if Oni was right? What if this was the only reason he was keeping me around and acting okay about it?

“The last ritual I’m going to be a part of. The one where my sister comes back.” He kept his pace.

“What do you have to give up for her to be here again?” I knew there was a price. There always was. When he didn’t answer, I stopped bringing it up. We were only a few days from the next full moon and it was clear what I had to do now.

I had to stop Eric before the full moon or die trying.
Ten

I stepped out into the field near the house. The tall grass rubbed at my legs and grabbed at my clothing. A part of me wondered if it was trying to tell me not to go forward. That I wouldn’t like what I saw, but I kept going.

I could see the group of people first. They stood in a circle around Connor. He was sitting with his legs crossed and his head down. Eric was also in the center of the circle facing Connor.

I started walking towards the group when the moon caught my sight. It was full and large and an odd color of red. My gaze fell back to the group after hearing a loud crack. I realized it was thunder when lightening struck through the sky.

Connor stood and reached for someone with their back to me. I watched as Eric went behind the person and said some words I didn’t understand. The sky thundered over us so loud it made me jump.

I watched Eric stab the person in front of Connor in the back. I wanted to scream, but my throat was dry. Then the lightening crossed the sky and slammed into the ground in the center of the circle. I had to blink because of the sudden light and when I opened my eyes, I saw Anna standing there beside Connor. I swallowed hard and took a step back.

***

I opened my eyes and tried to catch my breath. The dream had hit me hard and almost knocked the wind out of me. I swung my legs over the bed and glanced at the floor. The dream was more than a dream and I knew it. This was the moment Anna would come back and Connor would be able to be free, but at what cost?

I stood from the bed and walked to the window. I pulled the blinds to see if it was morning yet. When I saw the streaks of pink and orange on the horizon, I knew it was another day. I only had a couple more days to get the binding spell done. It had to happen. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if someone died because of me and my feelings for Connor.

It had to end, even if it meant Connor being an enemy for the rest of my life.
Eleven

I sat in the chair across from my bed waiting. Waiting for the chance I had to get a little of Eric’s blood, but I wasn’t sure it was going to happen unless I got some help from someone I didn’t want to tell.

I heard the door open and snapped my head to meet Connor’s gaze. He didn’t look happy to be in the room with me, but there was a sadness also in the way he carried himself.

“Eric’s letting you have the run of the house today,” he said, not looking at me.

 

“Why?” I was taken a little off guard by the sudden trust Eric had in me.

“Don’t screw it up. I’m sure it’s a test.” Connor turned to walk out of the room, but I jumped up and grabbed his hand. He flinched at the sudden contact.

“I need to talk to you. Can you shut the door?” I hoped he would listen to me and help me with what I needed to do, but I just wasn’t sure. This was the one time I had to put everything in his hands after he had broke not only my trust, but also my heart.

Connor stopped and glanced at me. He sighed and closed the door, but stayed near it. I didn’t let go of his hand. I wanted him to feel me close by and remember what it was like to love me.

“You were right. There is a reason I’m here.” I stopped to see what his reaction would be before I gave away the rest of my plans. He just crossed his arms and listened. “I have to stop Eric. There’s a spell that will keep him from causing anymore harm.”

“What does that have to do with me?” He was hard to read, but seemed to understand what I wanted, even if I hadn’t said it yet.

“I need his blood for the spell.” I waited and watched his face. He didn’t change his expression.

“You’re doing a blood spell.” It was more of a statement rather than a question. “Do you understand what will happen to you? You won’t ever be able to get away from Eric. He’ll always be in your head.”

“I know,” I said quietly.

“All you’ve done is sacrifice yourself or parts of yourself for everyone. Aren’t you tired of it?” He said it as though he really cared about what happened to me, but I wasn’t so sure.

“I have to keep my family safe and you.” I broke my gaze as I spoke. He shook his head and started to open the door. I grabbed his hand again, stopping him from taking off.

“I don’t need you to keep me safe. I’ll have what I want soon and you will fade away,” he snapped.

“You can tell me all you want that you don’t love me, but I’ve seen it in the way you act even now. I can see through you and your attitude.” I wanted to yell at him, to shake him into remembering what it was like when we spent all that time together.

He pulled his arm away and opened the door. Connor didn’t look back as he made his way down the hallway away from my room. I wanted to run after him, to chase him down and make him realize what it was he was losing, but I didn’t. I had a more important mission to do and I would need every sense I had to get it done.

***

I walked out of the room, the conversation Connor and I had a memory. My goal was to find Eric and somehow get his blood for the spell I had to do. The hallway was quiet and no one was around to tell me where everyone was. I made my way down the stairs and towards the open area in the front of the house.

That was were it had happened in my dream and that was what they were preparing for now. There were several people creating torch holes and getting things ready as though it was the biggest night of their lives. It may be if I don’t get what I need to, done.

The blond I’d met when I got here saw me first. She said something to another woman near her and walked my way. Her hair was braided down her back and she looked far older than she really was.

“Where’s Eric?” I asked right away. The woman looked at me and cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Why?” She was studying me hard.

“I want to talk to him. I’m curious about what’s going on here.” I smiled as I spoke to try and throw her off. She seemed to except it.

“He’s in the basement,” she said simply. “What’s going on down there?” I felt my insides tighten, but hoped it was just me and not what I thought it was.

“We caught some people we were looking for,” she smiled and continued, “They might be familiar to you.” I smiled back to her and started walking towards the house. My feet were going faster than the rest of me, threatening to trip me. I made my way down the stairs and found Eric standing at the door of a cell like I’d been trapped in not long ago.

“I was just telling our guests about how you had joined us and were a part of my new family,” Eric said with a smile on his face. When I looked a little closer, I realized the people he was holding were the very ones I was trying to protect.

“I don’t believe it,” my dad said through the bars. He was doing his best to look angry and upset, but I just ignored it.

“Where did you find them?” I asked to change the tone in the room a little.

“They were holding up in Connor’s house.” He watched me waiting for a change in my expression. I didn’t give him any so he continued. “Strange place for a group of Connor’s enemies to be. Don’t you think?” He was baiting me and I wasn’t going to fall for it.

“Not really. They probably thought you would never look there.” I made it sound like it made perfect sense and in a way it did. He kept his eyes on me, but seemed satisfied with my answer.

“We need a sacrifice for the full moon ritual we’re planning. I’ll let you decide who it will be.” He smiled and walked passed me and up the stairs. I stood there, shocked by what I was supposed to do, but didn’t give it away. Now that I’d found Eric, I wanted to get the blood I needed for the spell. That way I wouldn’t have to choose anyone even if it was just to buy some time.

By the time I got up the stairs, I’d lost Eric again and spent the day looking for him. I got so frustrated; I went back to my room to rethink how I was going to do this.

I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting for nothing and hoping for everything. To my surprise, the door swung open and Connor stepped in. He closed the door behind him and met my gaze. I sat up on the bed and just watched him. I didn’t know if he had told my plan to Eric and was taking me to join my family in the cells downstairs or if there was something else to it.

He smiled slightly and held out a vial. “Are you going to do this spell or what?”
Twelve

It felt like it had when I lived at Connor’s home. We mixed the blood with the other ingredients for the spell. Connor kept watch at the door to make sure no one that would cause any trouble came to the room. We didn’t want them to know what we were doing. I still wasn’t sure I could trust him, but I didn’t have a choice.

“What made you decide I was worth helping?” I asked him when he came back from checking the hall. He looked at me and then dropped his gaze.

“You don’t know everything about the full moon ritual.” He stopped and didn’t act like he wanted to talk about it anymore.

“What does that mean?” I asked before cutting my finger to add my own blood to the mixture.

“The sacrifice was supposed to be you. I couldn’t let that happen, even to get my sister back.” He looked away from me and to the mixture I was creating. I didn’t know what to say. He had been so distant and then all of the sudden was becoming the Connor I’d once known.

Can I trust him?
I wondered. It didn’t seem I had a choice.

“We’ll have to wait until the ritual tonight. You’ll be close enough to end all of this then.” He glanced to the mixture and then back to me. “Are you ready for this?”

“I have to be.” I said it without thinking. “He’ll be in your head for as long as you live. Even if he doesn’t, a part of him will always try to influence you.” He seemed to know more about blood spells than anyone else I’d talked to about it.

“I know.”

He left it alone and helped me clean up the mixture so no one would know what we were doing. When his hand brushed mine, I felt a jolt of the same old electricity we’d shared. He stopped and let his hand rest on mine for a moment. I could feel his breath on my face as we just stood there waiting for something unknown.

“I should go,” Connor finally said before turning from me and walking out of my door.

I smiled to myself. Of all the things I had to face, I was finally able to take one of the hardest things in my life and make something good out of it. I felt the warmth of his love finally coming back into my life.

I tucked the bottle with the blood spell inside into my pocket. If Connor was right and Eric planned to use me as the sacrifice, I’d be close enough. The night was giving way to the day. The last day I’d have to face Eric and the last day I’d have to live in fear.

***

The day went along fast and I was free to roam the house and grounds while the sun was still up. I would catch Eric watching me from time to time. My thoughts wondered to if he was taunting me with the freedom I’d been getting because he knew I’d be dead tonight. I acted as though I had no idea of what he was planning so he wouldn’t know I had a plan of my own.

My gaze caught the setting sun over the grounds. It was full of oranges and pinks that made me smile and know what I was doing was right, no matter what the consequences would be. The door opening made me almost jump out of my skin.

“Eric would like you to come to the ritual,” the woman with blond hair said. She wasn’t smiling and looked slightly sad. I knew what she was feeling, but didn’t say anything. I couldn’t risk Eric knowing something was up.

We walked to through the grass and to the area where the circle was created. I could see Connor and Eric talking in the center. They turned towards me when they realized I was on my way.

“It’s time for you to be useful,” he said. Any love he may have showed in the past was gone. Eric grabbed my arm and pulled me into the circle. I heard the sound of thunder cracking above me and the bright flash of lightening. I held my breath as Eric pulled me into the center.

Connor kept looking my way, as if he was silently asking me why I was taking so long to use the spell. Eric started chanting in words I didn’t understand. I slid my hand into my pocket and gripped the spell tightly. I turned out of Eric’s grip and looked him in the eyes. He seemed startled, but continued with his own spell.

“Do it before it’s too late,” Connor yelled over my shoulder. Eric’s gaze seemed to understand that I had something up my sleeve. He grabbed at my arms, trying to pin me to him. I felt someone reach into my pocket where the spell was. Eric pulled me to him as he was getting ready to say the last words of the ritual, but instead he said something else.