Chapter Twenty-One
‘I’m not going down that hole.’
‘Just slide down.’
‘You slide down!’
‘I will – after you.’
‘Hawthorne!’
‘Reverie,’ Orion said, a lazy drawl to his tone. ‘I promise you; this will not lead to your demise. Now, slide down. Please.’
I turned back to look at Raven and Sofia – both who had, very childishly, yelled not-it, when Orion took us to our destination.
We were deep in the Firewood Forest, in a clearing where – once you moved the artfully placed leaves – you would find a circle in the ground.
Turns out, the circle was actually a wooden cover.
Orion lifted it to proudly display a black tunnel that he wanted me to go down.
Because, obviously, he thought I’d lost my mind on the walk from the car to the clearing.
‘Here,’ he came closer to where I was standing, and slipped off his jacket. He held it around me and looked at me expectantly. ‘Put it on.’
‘Why?’ I asked, incredulously. There was no way I was going to wear that jacket. Never again.
‘Because I’ve charmed it with a protection spell,’ Orion said, simply. ‘So, you’ll be safe from whatever harm you think is down there.’
I looked at the garment, and my heart stuttered. I should’ve told Orion I was still wearing the pendant I’d enchanted. But I was also a little cold, and the jacket did look comforting. So, I slid my arms into its sleeves.
I looked up at Orion again, waiting for a snarky remark, but his expression had changed.
Gone was the lazy smile and the teasing eyes; they were replaced by the dark slit in his silver eyes narrowing, the muscle in his jaw jumping ever so slightly.
I felt warm from his look, his jacket; it was like I was standing next to a campfire.
The sudden urge to reach out and touch those flames, to press my thumb against that muscle in his jaw –
‘So, Sofia and I are going to stay up here,’ Raven said, and the two of us jerked back so hard, it almost hurt my neck.
‘Why?’ I asked, trying not to sound flustered.
Sofia and Raven shared a look I couldn’t read, before Raven continued.
‘’Cause I’m not going down a dark hole, and my brother only has one jacket,’ Raven said, her voice brooking no argument.
Sofia nodded in agreement. ‘You two have fun.’
‘Fine,’ I grumbled, knowing if I kicked up too much of a fuss it would look like I was trying to avoid being alone with Orion.
There was a slight dip at the edge of the circle, as if many, many people had done this before. Reassuring, really. I looked up at Orion one last time. ‘I’ll come back as a ghost and haunt you if I die.’
Orion smiled softly. ‘Wouldn’t expect anything less, Reverie.’
And with that, he pushed me down the hole.
If anyone asks, I didn’t scream. Much. OK, I screamed a little. But sue me, it was dark and ridiculously bumpy. Until I reached the end. Then I was cushioned by soft sand, and my vision was hit with the glow of purple light.
Two seconds later, Orion was there. I turned to really inspect the scene before me.
We were in a grotto – a massive grotto. There were two or three caves connected, making it difficult to see just how far the grotto went.
There was a large pool of bluish water on one side and high, arching ceilings of rock with purple crystal stalactites hanging from them.
It was stunning; so absolutely beautiful.
‘What is this place?’ I asked, my voice echoing slightly.
‘This is Mermaid’s Grotto,’ Orion explained, dusting off his jeans. I made sure my eyes didn’t rove over his arms, but it wasn’t easy. ‘Celine’s family’s place.’
I felt myself stiffen, and I refused to face him. ‘Ah, so she’s letting you use it for the party.’
‘Yes. This place stretches out as far as Golden Shell Beach through interconnected caves. So, there are lots of entrances and exits – most people come through the rock doorway from the beach, but I thought this was more fun for us,’ Orion continued, while my stomach twisted in knots.
‘Celine’s family owns this part, and she owed me, so I cashed it in. ’
I made myself close my eyes, breathing in deeply before exhaling.
I tried to force myself not to care about whatever favours Orion and the siren owed each other, but I couldn’t.
I wanted desperately to know what had happened between them, but there was no way of asking without making it sound like I cared.
When I felt slightly more in control of my emotions, I turned to face Orion.
‘This would be a great venue,’ I said, forcing a smile on to my mouth. ‘I should text Silas to let him know the location.’
Orion’s eyes darkened, and it shouldn’t have thrilled me, but it did. I’d always loved how expressive his eyes could be.
‘Right, let me just –’ I took out my phone, and quickly sent out a text. The response came back.
SILAS MOON
Sounds like a dream. Looking forward to setting up with you, M.
‘He’s excited to set up with me,’ I said, and the smugness was clear in my voice.
‘Yay,’ Orion said, flatly. ‘He’s excited do chores with you. Delightful.’
‘Someone’s irritated,’ I remarked.
‘It’s my constant state of being,’ Orion retorted, and then just as swiftly he changed the subject.
‘Reverie, let’s have your spellcasting lesson here before we hit the Treasure Trove for your shift.
The last spellcasting lesson is trying a healing spell.
All the magic we’ve been focusing on so far has been offensive, but healing magic is different.
It’s about thinking of someone else and what they need.
Like being in love.’ Orion ran his tongue over his teeth.
My heart stuttered hearing the softness in Orion’s voice.
He spoke like he knew the feeling. It made me think of Celine, and the things they needed to ‘hash out’.
I felt that tug in my stomach again. If Orion and Celine sorted out whatever they needed to, would she get this new version of Orion?
The one who was more patient and kinder.
‘Who exactly would you like me to cast a healing spell on?’ I asked, annoyed at myself for being bothered about who was the object of his affections.
‘Me,’ Orion replied, and then, without ceremony, he rolled up his sleeve to show a long, red gash around his arm.
His scales were shimmering around the wound, like they were trying to stitch the skin back together, but something was stopping his natural enhanced healing.
‘Orion!’ I exclaimed, stepping closer to inspect the wound. ‘Why haven’t you healed yourself?’
‘I took a tonic,’ Orion said, voice strained. ‘It subdues my natural healing abilities.’
‘But – how did you get this?’
Orion was silent for several long beats, long enough for me to tear my eyes away from the gash to look at him. He was contemplating something, the dark slit of his eyes tight and worried.
‘What?’ I said, suddenly worried.
‘Do you actually care?’
The question stunned me.
‘What? Of cou– yes,’ I stuttered, wrapping my hand around his arm, my thumb against his inner wrist. I could feel his heartbeat, steady as ever against my skin.
There was a small part of me that told me I should have said no. But there was a larger part of me that knew all the ways Orion had looked out for me, and that if I’d had such an injury, he would have been the first one to help.
He waited a beat before saying sharply, ‘I got it after a fight with my dad. We got into an argument, and I stormed out of the house. I didn’t have my jacket on yet, and I got this when my skin scraped the metal of the gate.’
I sucked in my teeth. ‘What were you fighting about?’
Orion gave me a look. ‘What do you think?’
I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know. We’d spent so many of our conversations last summer talking about what he’d really wanted to be.
‘You told him you wanted to become a teacher then?’ I asked, lightly.
Orion nodded and then swallowed. ‘He didn’t take it very well.’
‘I’m surprised,’ I replied, and then waved my free hand at his confused expression. ‘Not at your dad’s reaction. But that you still want to be a teacher. Thought that dream died when you went to MAC.’
Orion lifted a shoulder in response. ‘I thought so too. I thought I’d go to MAC, and I’d fall in love with all those defensive spells and forensic charms. But I didn’t. All I’ve ever enjoyed was teaching or tutoring or learning. Hoarding knowledge.’
This was the side of Orion Hawthorne that no one ever saw; the side that no one ever knew but me and, I suppose, his parents.
The quiet side, the nerdy side, the side that just wanted to learn.
It made my chest ache – the earnest way in which he spoke.
There was something so endearing about seeing someone else talk about a dream and want it.
‘But he thinks it’s a bad career choice,’ Orion said simply. ‘And I’m just deciding how much I care about his opinion.’
‘And your mum?’ I asked, hopefully.
He shook his head, a sad smile pinching the corners of his mouth. ‘The rules are different for Raven and for me. I’m the prodigal son, the one who was supposed to take over. Mum wants me to do whatever Dad thinks is best because that’s the future they mapped out for me.’
‘Kind of like how my mum just wants me to do simple spells my entire life,’ I said, feeling that all-too-familiar ache of having a parent that loves you, but doesn’t believe in you. ‘It’s like they’ve already thought of our destiny, and it’s just our job to live it.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m tired of doing everything the way everyone else wants me to,’ Orion said, and then he latched his gaze on to mine. ‘And for what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be a witch who will do far more than just simple spells.’
A prickle climbed over my eyes, and I know my smile was shaky. ‘For what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be a great teacher one day, Hawthorne. Bossy, but great.’
‘I’d like to say I’m firm, not bossy,’ Orion teased.
‘I’m your first student, so I get to decide,’ I countered, swallowing against the emotion in my throat.
‘Fine, Reverie, you win,’ he conceded. ‘Now, do you mind healing me, because this is stinging.’
‘I can’t believe you didn’t just heal yourself.’ I looked down at the gash again.
‘You needed a test subject,’ Orion said, like it was obvious.
‘So you endured a painful injury for me?’
The question flew out of my mouth faster than I could think. I felt Orion’s heart skip a beat against the skin of my thumb, and I refused to look away from the gash. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t.
‘Easiest thing I’ve ever done, Reverie,’ Orion murmured, not barely above a whisper.
But I heard him.
I swallowed. I had to remind myself that this was Orion. Ex-friend. Ex-crush. Ex-everything. I wasn’t allowed to have feelings for him any more. Everything was going as it should with Silas.
‘You’re sure you want me to heal you?’ I pivoted.
‘Reverie,’ Orion’s voice held a command that made my head snap up. ‘You can do this. I trust you; I’m not worried about what will happen. Neither should you.’
‘I know – but I haven’t cast a spell on another person since Everly Catacomb.’
‘It’s a good thing I don’t have fangs then,’ Orion said, teasingly. ‘Come on. You’re going to cast the spell, heal my wound, and then we’re going to hit the Treasure Trove to help Melodie out with the after-school rush.’
‘Do you want a sir-yes-sir after that,’ I asked, sarcastically.
Orion looked like he was contemplating it, so I squeezed his wrist tightly.
‘Just give me the spell, Hawthorne.’
‘Bones splintering, skin tearing, heal the one who needs repairing,’ Orion recited. ‘And when you’re saying the spell, think of the skin knitting back together. Imagine what you want it to look like.’
I took a deep breath.
‘Every other thought is inconsequential.’ Orion’s low timbre was like melted chocolate, and it soothed some of my nerves away. ‘The only thing you’re focusing on is healing. Curing. Saving. Think of every time you’ve looked after someone.’
I thought of that instinct to protect, and I envisioned what I wanted Orion’s inner arm to look like. I wanted the skin to look baby pink and new. I wanted him to be OK – not just from the gash, but from the hurt in his voice when he spoke about his parents.
I hated him, but the part of me that didn’t wanted him to be OK.
My magic warmed my veins, spurred on by the images Orion’s words had brought forth. It was like I was shooting an arrow, and my magic knew exactly where to land it.
‘Bones splintering, skin tearing, heal the one who needs repairing.’
‘Open your eyes, Maya,’ Orion murmured, and my lids flew open on command.
Orion’s skin was healing. It was knitting together, covering the gash, until just a faint white scar was left. Orion’s dragon scales erupted over the closed wound, as I dragged my fingertips down the scar.
I lifted my eyes to his and sucked in a breath at seeing the proud smile on his mouth.
‘You’re going to break this curse, Reverie,’ Orion said, without any doubt. ‘You’re so much closer, and when you work past all that noise in your head, your magic is focused.’
I smiled, unrestrained and full.
‘And it also seems like you’re on track with Silas,’ Orion said, his tone losing some of its warmth.
‘Yeah, I think I am,’ I echoed, letting his wrist fall from my hand.
I wasn’t sure why the thought didn’t fill me with pleasure – it was probably just nerves from how close the autumn moon was now.
‘I’m planning on telling him about my feelings at Everly’s party this weekend.
That way, we have some time before the soulmate spell. ’
Orion raised a mocking eyebrow. ‘Sound less excited, Reverie. Isn’t this everything you ever wanted?’
I mustered a smile. ‘I’m just tired; it’s been a long day.’
‘Come on,’ he said, walking us out of the grotto. ‘Let’s grab something at Gregory’s, before we head to the Treasure Trove.’
The familiarity of our routine shouldn’t have comforted me. It should’ve been a warning sign, but I’ve always been pretty bad at noticing danger unless it was staring me right in the face.