The Gathering Darkness (40 page)

“I’ve had a sudden change of heart.” She said as if reading my mind. “In a few moments, the two of you will come into full power. Something you have never lived through before. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I’m making for you.” Her eyes darted from Marcus to me.

“What’s in it for you?” Marcus asked sharply.

“Now why would you think this was to my benefit?” She acted as if her feelings were hurt.

“Stop playing games. What do you really want, Margaret?” Marcus demanded. His hands turned into fists at his side.

“Oh, very well.” She exuded innocence as she spoke. “There is one tiny thing I want. I want to break the seal of the Coven of Seven.”

My blood froze. “There’s no way in hell I’ll help you break the seal,” I snapped.

Her eyes darted to me. “Now, Brooke, you’re hardly in a position to disobey.”

“Don’t be foolish, Margaret,” Marcus said. “You can’t control the power contained within the crystal.”

Her expression darkened.

One hundred years ago, during our last coven meeting, the seven of us had sacrificed a small amount of power, imprisoning it within the crystal septagram. We created a magical seal around the crystal and bound it shut with wards of protection. It was an experiment to allow the power inside to grow and strengthen until one day, together, the seven of us would release it, thus making each one of us stronger. How foolish, now that I thought back.

“What makes you think we wouldn’t use the power against you?” I asked.

Margaret threw her head back in a fit of musical laughter. “My dear, you haven’t begun to see the extent of my powers.”

“If you’re so powerful, then why do you need more?” I argued.

She ignored my last remark. Her face turned from amused to curious. Her glossy eyes lit up. “It is time, sunset on the equinox—when day meets night.” Her eyes, along with everyone else’s, flicked to Marcus and me.

Before I could blink, an invisible force wrapped itself around me, lifting me inches off the floor. I hung suspended in an upright position, as did Marcus, while an electrical current swept through my body like a shock wave. A fresh breath of air invaded my lungs, reviving every cell. My eyes fell shut, and I became aware of
my
body only and the sensation of sweet liquid flowing through it—Marcus’ blood. It washed through me like a tidal wave, drenching me internally. The molecules I was made from absorbed every drop. My eyes flew open. The experience of coming into power was a feeling far beyond anything I’d experienced in the sixteen years of my current life. To stand in this room, knowing that, besides Marcus, I might be the most powerful witch in the coven, was exhilarating beyond measure. When it was over, I felt myself being lowered to the floor once more.

All eyes were on us. But it was Margaret’s that drew my attention away from everyone else’s. Her eyes were animated beyond the boundaries of excitement.

My whole body was electrified with magic now. A mild shimmer touched the entire surface of my skin. I felt it in my hands, my lips; even my eyeballs shimmered as the magic surged over me and through me. I looked at Marcus, and I knew by the expression on his face he’d experienced the same gift I had. He smiled warmly. And despite the evil surrounding us, I smiled back.

I was powerful now. Why did Margaret think that I wouldn’t take Robyn and Marcus and escape with the snap of my fingers—if it was even possible?

“We’re leaving,” Marcus said, as if he’d read my thoughts.

Margaret’s answering smile was both beautiful and pure evil.

“Maybe you will, but I think Brooke will stay. And if Brooke stays, then I am almost certain you will stay.” Her grin widened along with her eyes.

“What are you talking about? Why will I stay?” I asked.

Margaret raised her arms in front of her. She pointed two white index fingers at a corner. And with a modest show of blue fireworks, two very scared people appeared.

N
o!” My mouth fell open in shock.

“Brooke? What the hell?” one said.

The other shook violently with fright.

She had me. I wasn’t free. I had no choice but to do her bidding.

In the corner, tied together, were my two best friends.

“B-Brooke, wh-wh-what’s going on?” Courtney stuttered while looking as if she’d just stepped out of a teen fashion magazine.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, as if that could ever be enough.

“Before you get any ideas, the rope they’re bound with is magical. As long as it binds them, your magic cannot touch them.” Margaret looked from me to Marcus, then back to me. “One false move from either of you, and I will cut out their hearts so fast, their blood won’t have a chance to spill. Or, I can dissect them slowly and messily. That will depend on how well you follow direction.” She smiled, as if enjoying herself immensely. “Once the seal is broken, I will send them back to Boston immediately with no recollection of the night’s events.”

Courtney shrieked. Luke swore, loudly. Before I could blink, Margaret was standing in front of them with the point of a dagger pressed against Luke’s chest.

“You may be strong now, maybe even stronger than me, but I doubt you can whisk everyone out of here at once. Choose your path wisely.”

“We’ll do what you ask,” Marcus blurted. “But how do we know you’ll keep your promise and release them?”

“You’ll just have to trust me.” Her sinister grin wasn’t reassuring.

I looked at my terrified friends and felt ashamed of who I was.

“Let’s get on with it,” I said defeated.

The seven of us joined hands. With Marcus to my right, Evan to my left and the others in their positions, we began the casting.

“Guardians of spirit,” Margaret began. “I invoke thee. Enrich us with your divine presence.” When she fell silent, the purple candle behind her burst into a toxic purple flame that shot upwards.

Courtney shrieked.

As I stared into the crystal, I saw a tiny fleck of purple dance in its center.

Next was earth. Robyn called upon the guardians of earth. Before the last words had sprung from her mouth, the green candle behind her shot an iridescent green flame into the air. Inside the crystal septagram, a tiny fleck of green swirled fluently with the purple.

Sammy invoked air, Megan water, and Evan fire. The multi-colored life in the center of the crystal grew, swirling violently.

Marcus squeezed my hand and began his invocation. He called upon the guardians of dark. Instantly the swirl of colors seemed to disappear, but really, their colors were just hidden within the darkness. The flame on his candle was strikingly black.

Everyone but Marcus, who I had the feeling wasn’t too proud of himself, glared at me, almost hungrily, waiting.

I sighed and called upon the guardians of light—my element. The spirits of light—which only I had the ability to feel, embraced me, letting me know they were there. Although I couldn’t see it, I felt the heat behind me as the white candle burst into a pure white flame. The light, as if taken by force, was pulled from around me and sucked into the center of the crystal, illuminating some of the over-powering darkness, creating a perfect balance. For the first time in a century, the colors in the center of the crystal pulsed with renewed life.

The energy in the room swirled around us, prickling the skin, awakening the most remote cells in our bodies. I’d forgotten what a rush it was to cast a circle—an ecstasy far beyond words. Much greater than any human experience could ever be.

“It is time to break the seal.” Margaret’s voice betrayed her obvious hunger for the power within.

With our hands linked to keep the circle alive, we began the chant we’d devised a century ago—mine and Marcus’ last task as part of the Coven of Seven. This time though, we chanted in reverse.

If the seal were to break, each element would aid the trapped magic in finding its way to the tips of the crystal, where it would be released into the room to find its conjurer, thus increasing his or her power.

After a long span of chanting, nothing happened. Then suddenly, Courtney shrieked my name out. Startled, I looked over at her and Luke.

Spidery lines of crimson appeared on their faces, traveling in no particular pattern down their necks, as if someone with a shaky hand were sketching them on with a razor blade. Blood beaded down every line.

“Stop it!” I yelled to Margaret.

At once, the crimson lines ceased their travel and disappeared, as if they were never there.

Margaret laughed darkly. “I warned you not to disobey me.”

“I haven’t disobeyed you.” I said, sharply.

“The seal stays shut!”

The malevolent look in her eyes stopped my heart.

“If you wanted the seal to open it would have been open by now.”

“The binding of the seal is stronger than you thought,” I said. “Than any of us thought it would be. Maybe we can’t unbind our own seal.”

Then without thinking, I let go of Evan’s hand, thus breaking the circle. The look on Margaret’s face then would have made the devil cringe. Marcus reached an arm out in front of me and pushed me behind him.

The blaze from the seven candles dwindled to a meek flame. The violent swirl of color inside the crystal ceased its rage and then disappeared altogether. A horrendous shriek from Margaret shook the room. Her arms rose in the air. Her voice, now violent, chanted out a spell, loudly and frantically.

I ran to Luke and Courtney. Marcus was at my side and grabbed my hand. “Together,” he said.

I knew what he was thinking. I grabbed Luke’s hand. Marcus grabbed Courtney’s. Together, we began a transporting spell, but before the second word was out of our mouths, something happened.

The image in front of me flickered ever-so-slightly. I felt different—heavier. The chant was lost. Marcus and I looked at each other, confused. Then we turned to Margaret, who had calmed herself and was smiling once more.

“You see? I
am
more powerful than you.”

Beyond the smugness, I detected a look of relief in her eyes.

With no fight left in me, I asked, “What just happened?”

“I took you back in time. It is precisely two hours earlier than it was a moment ago.”

“But, you’re still … .” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.

“Young and beautiful? Yes, and I always will be now that your fairy blood lives in my veins.”

“I love you.”

I heard Marcus whisper in my ear. Maybe he thought it would be his last words to me. I felt weak. Tears stung my eyes, but I pushed them back.

“How sweet.” Margaret’s voice was edged with sarcasm. “It wasn’t always you who he loved.”

I looked at Marcus. He looked as confused as I felt.

“Well, do you want to tell her, or shall the pleasure me mine?”

“Tell me what?”

“You see, Brooke, before Kalan met Bryn, he met … Cyra.” She hissed the last word out.

I felt as if an arctic wave slapped me in the face, and I gasped loudly.

I heard Marcus’ breathe catch and felt him stiffen at my side.

“Who’s Cyra?” Robyn asked.

I ignored her and glared wide-eyed at Marcus, feeling betrayed in the worst way.

Horror-filled recognition dawned on his face that was quickly replaced with pain. His shoulders fell. “I’m sorry,” he said without looking directly at me.

“Sorry?” Still in shock, I looked back to Margaret and waited for more.

“Kalan and Cyra were in love—”

“No! It was never love,” Marcus said, glaring at Margaret like he would kill her right then and there if he could.

I expected him to deny the charge altogether, but he didn’t. The stitches that had held my heart together the past couple weeks tightened and snapped apart.

“Lust then,” Margaret said with a wave of her hand. “Either way, he belonged to me first.” She looked at me curiously, as if waiting for my reaction.

“Who is Cyra?” Robyn demanded, with growing impatience.

With my eyes fixed to Margaret, I told Robyn the tale.

“Cyra was Bryn’s older sister—my sister.” I thought back to Wales. There were no clues to their relationship. “She was cast in disgrace from the fairy realm—”

“The fairy what?” Luke interrupted. “Man, this is getting too wacked out for me.”

I winced. I’d completely forgotten they were there.

“Any fairy powers she had were taken from her before her banishment. I see now, how my blood made her beautiful again.”

“If she has fairy blood in her, why did she need yours?” Robyn asked.

“At the moment of banishment, Cyra was given over to the demon world. Not a single drop of fairy blood remained in her body.”

“Wow. She must have been really bad,” Robyn said.

“She was.”

Margaret interrupted. “So now you know who I really am, dear sister … the good one … the one who everyone loved.”

“You killed him. How could you kill Kalan?”

“He loved
you
. It was a satisfying revenge.”

“You also killed your own sister? How cold-hearted,” Robyn added with disgust.

“Yes, twice, and I’m about to kill her again, then Kalan will be mine once more.” Her smile flaunted her delight.