Chapter 2
“Bev, you’re hurting yourself,” she whispered. She nodded when I frowned. “You’re bleeding. Look at your arms.”
I hissed when I did. My forearms were all cut up from my nails. I’d been scratching myself while mumbling and apparently enough to do real damage, gross skin and blood under my nails. “I can’t stay here. Link was—I don’t trust them right now, Emma.”
“Okay, fair. I’ll take you anywhere that’s safe.” She froze when I flinched away from her. “Conrad put his hands on you?”
“Yes. So did the reporters.” I blinked back tears. “I’m not their trash.”
“No, no, you’re not,” she rasped. “I’m going to steal a few of his towels and stuff to clean you up. Think of where you want to go and we’ll hide out there until Tracey is available to talk you through what’s going on, okay?”
“Thank you,” I whispered, reaching out for her. I was about to take her hand, but then I remembered mine were all gross and stopped.
She didn’t let me though, grabbing it and promising me that I’d be okay. She ended up taking me to the kitchen and getting me cleaned up, offering to heal me, but I knew how to do that now. “Where do you want to go?”
“My new land,” I answered immediately, what I needed already in my bag and the desire to use it clawing at me. Was that the mumbling and scratching?
Yes. Somehow, I knew yes. It was the way to escape when I needed it.
So my magic was developing more to give me answers?
Or really just to fuck with me more. Could it just leave me notes instead of be drama?
Fuck, take out a billboard even at this point.
Emma had been there before, so it was easy to go to. “Tracey or someone did the thing for you to block people. Do it, Bev. I got this. Block everyone from reaching you and feel safe.”
“Thank you,” I whispered and activated the charm she was talking about. I let out a shaky breath, not just from that, but the land with the seed of life and my magic somehow making me feel more settled.
Emma pulled out her phone and made a call. “You’re with Tracey? Tell her that I have Bevin and she activated the charm. Things—things took a turn. I’ve got her and we’re safe.”
Taylor. She was checking in with Taylor probably. He would be with Tracey when the shit was hitting the fan. She would give him his marching orders… And that meant he wasn’t turning to the council for orders.
I should have felt more relieved, but I wasn’t.
Maybe I was a bit?
No, something was still off, so I used my magic to scan like I would a familiar or like Mrs. Reid had been teaching me to just assess… Anything. Everything?
And that was where I saw it—the answer.
A door. Well, an outline of a door.
In a tree.
No, I wasn’t high or drunk.
I saw it like I could see familiar bonds and bridges—the connections. It was in a massive willow tree which made sense since that was tied to Hecate. That was her favorite tree? I couldn’t remember, but a willow fit.
And the key I’d found on this land was in my bag. That was why I’d been clutching it. It was why I’d grabbed it from my room before I’d gone to handle what I’d needed to. For some reason, I knew it.
Somehow, I just knew this was the moment I needed to use it and now—it fit. Or the key would fit in the lock.
I pulled it out and glanced back at Emma seeing she was distracted on the phone. I went over and didn’t hesitate before I was caught. I put the key in the hole and swallowed a gasp when I heard the click like it was a deadbolt unlocking.
But there wasn’t a knob to twist or push down.
“Is a magical outline of a door one you open?” I mumbled under my breath as I stared at it, still holding the key.
No, it was one you pushed like you did your magic.
So that was what I did.
I put my hand on it and pushed—physically and magically. The wood gave way and I about tripped through it… And through the tree.
I gasped as I realized I was simply on the other side of the tree.
But nothing looked the same. Everything was in dull gray tones. Even Emma when I looked at her. Narrowing my eyes, she looked blurry like when I saw humans needing glasses in movies or TV. She looked not fully there.
“Finally, you have arrived, child,” a male voice said from my left.
I let out a yelp and spun to face whoever.
There standing in all the gray was something so ridiculous that I thought I might seriously have fucking cracked. “This key is like drugs, right? Using it takes you on a trip like humans and mushrooms?”
“I do not know why humans ingesting vegetables would be drugs in your mind, but I assure you this is real, Bevin. Settle your mind and I will explain as much as I can,” he said.
The bright pink flamingo.
Not animal.
Lawn ornament.
Complete with sunglasses.
What the actual fuck?
He chuckled, so I must have said that out loud. “Clearly, I chose wrong picking a form that wouldn’t startle you. Though you’re not scared, so I guess that worked.” He frowned. “You liked these as a child. I sought to soothe you since this is all too much for one young mind to bear alone.”
I frowned too, a memory just on the edge of my mind, but I focused on what he said instead. “You know me?”
“Yes, I did, but I am limited in what I can tell you,” he said sadly. “I have faith you will be smart enough to put it together over time. For now, know I am allowed to… Guide you as best as I can.”
I bobbed my head, not willing to spend time arguing. “What is this place?”
“Good, good, always focused and quick on your feet,” he praised. “This is the spirit realm. Yes, I am a spirit, the same spirits who become familiars.”
So treat him with the knowledge or depth of intelligence of one. I glanced down at the key. “And I can access this place because I’m a goddess witch?”
“Yes,” he hedged. “In terms of what you know, yes, but thinking of it that way is a bastardization of the truth.”
“And you’re here to correct that?” I asked—hoped really. “Others have relatives guide them and help. I’m—you have no idea how hard it’s been and—”
“I do,” he said gently. “And as you know, help isn’t always helpful, Bevin. How many families have led them on the wrong paths? Jealousy eats them up that they weren’t chosen instead? No matter how the path is laid out, no one has an easy road when given such gifts.”
I swallowed loudly, realizing he wasn’t someone to vent to then and not to waste time doing so. “What should I know first? Why did the door appear today?”
“Good,” he praised again. “Because you needed to escape.”
“I’ve needed that before,” I snapped.
“Yes, but now you could safely and understand this gift without risking yourself,” he said gently. He waited until I nodded.
It was really hard to take him seriously as a fucking lawn ornament, his wings up in a fixed position. This was too ridiculous for words.
“You cannot stay in the spirit realm for very long which is why—what would you have done as a child?” he whispered.
I swallowed loudly and nodded again. I would have hidden here forever, especially in my grief and fear after I’d lost Grandfather. Then I flinched. “Did Grandfather receive the dream and know about me?”
“Yes, but we have limited time today. I will tell you more about that another day.” He gestured towards where Emma was when I opened my mouth to object.
I gasped as I saw her freaking out, Taylor yelling at her while Mrs. Reid and Mrs. Oliveria were using magic to try and find me. I pulled out my phone to text her and was a bit surprised when I saw I had enough of a signal to get her a message.
“Yes, the spirit realm is parallel to the real world. It’s simply not able to be accessed by just anyone,” the spirit said, not making me ask. “If you marked a tree, they could see it, but not you.”
“So it’s an escape for people like me,” I clarified.
“It’s a gift, but yes, it’s used as one. You cannot ever stay here for a full day. Never hit twenty-four hours or you will start to fade,” he warned. “You are not meant to be part of this world, only a guest.”
Fair enough.
“So, these keys are access points for where I could need them?”
“Yes, well done. And you must tell no one else about them. Only your priest.”
“I don’t have one,” I whispered, fear filling me.
“You need to name him, Bevin. Even if he doesn’t become yours forever, you need the shield he can provide. A witch is too vulnerable in this world without a shield.”
“I don’t know that I can trust him, and he won’t…”
“It’s not permanent,” he said gently. “Then name another of them. You have to name one so others keep their heads. This happened today and will continue to happen because people see the option.”
“This is too much,” I whispered, tears burning my eyes. “Can I bring him here? Can you tell him that—”
“No, I’m sorry, child,” he said gently. “Not unless you’re mated. His body isn’t made for this place. He hasn’t been blessed as yours has. You’re too young even normally, but since you have the blessing of multiple gods, you were allowed entry early.”
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” I whispered. I shook my head and pulled out my phone again. “Can I record you?”
“You can try,” he hedged. “Yes, I have no desire to deny you.”
It was worth a shot. I opened the app and recorded what we were saying, praying it worked even if just for my own sanity later. “What do you mean blessings from gods?”
“The way the magical society sees god warlocks and goddess witches is wrong, Bevin, but it’s also not.”
“Oh, well, that’s extremely fucking helpful,” I grumbled, shrugging when he sighed.
What did he expect? Seriously, the pink flamingo lawn ornament was giving me cryptic bullshit.
Yeah, I got to snark back.
“I don’t have all the answers to give you since I’m not a god and I’m limited to what I can tell you since there are truths the living cannot know,” he said in that frustrated tone I recognized well when familiars were at the limit of their knowledge.
They wanted to understand more, but… They didn’t have the mental capacity.
To get my answers I would need to reach deep for patience.