Bound by Magic Read online

  “You still miss your powers?”

  “Well, yeah! I’ve only been without them for a couple of weeks, Jasmine, but it’s what I’ve done with my life for over twenty years! It’s all I’ve ever known, and there are a lot of witches, a lot of angels who were counting on me, and because of Liam I can’t help them. I feel like I let them down, plus, I can’t help any of you. I can’t teleport. I can’t sense you, if you’re in trouble. It’s all new territory for me, Jasmine.”

  “It’s going to take some time, Sky,” Jasmine said, sitting on the bed with him, and taking his hand in hers. “Give it some time. Everything happens for a reason, and I have a feeling your role in the magical world is not over yet.”

  “Someone’s optimistic.”

  “Well, I have to be! Considering the world we live in, and who my sisters are,” Jasmine said, laughing. “Do you even realize that we haven’t been on a proper date yet?”

  “It has crossed my mind,” Sky said, linking his fingers with hers. “It’s crazy! We know so much about each other. We’ve been through so much together. Satan, Halloween and being stuck in Aladdin. You remember that, don’t you?”

  “Of course,” Jasmine said, blushing a little as she remembered. “It was the first time I told you that you were important to me.”

  “And the moment I decided to go against the rules, and open myself up to you,” Sky said, stroking his thumb over her hand as he remembered back to that day. “I don’t regret it for a moment!”

  “And of course, there was Julie turning evil, the underworld, and being separated. Forgetting about one another.”

  “But we made our way back to one another.”

  “Yes, we did,” Sky said, smiling at her again, blown away by the woman and all that they had been through together. “I’ll always find my way back to you.”

  “But I am worried about Julie,” Jasmine said, laying her head on Sky’s shoulder. “She’s been through so much, Sky. Do you think she’ll recover? More so, do you think she and Jade will ever get back to a place where they don’t hate each other?”

  “In time, yes,” Sky said, stroking her hair, as he thought of her two sisters. “Julie just needs some time. Like you said, she’s been through a lot! Plus, she just lost the love of her life. That’s going to take some time to adjust to. Can you imagine how you would feel, if you lost me?”

  “No,” Jasmine said, shaking her head, not wanting to think about that. “I don’t ever want to think about it!”

  “Then put yourself in her shoes.”

  “But Jade, she’s so hard on her!”

  “She’s a piece of work,” Sky said, choosing his words carefully. “She expects a lot of herself, and in turn, expects a lot from the people around her. They’ll work it out, Jasmine. They have to. Their family.

  “And Jorja.” Jasmine sighed. “She’s driving me crazy! She always wants to go exploring, and now, she wants to go look for this sapphire! I don’t know if it’s smart, Sky. You know what happens when we go looking for things.”

  “Trouble always follows,” Sky said, nodding. “Yes, I know.” He paused for a moment. “But I have an idea. Why don’t we go out on a date?”

  “When?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Jasmine sat up, turning to look at him. “Sky! There’s not enough time to…”

  “Shh. Yes there is,” Sky said, pressing his finger to her lips and shushing her. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is meet me by the front door at seven tonight. Think you can do that?”

  “I think I might be able to,” Jasmine said, glancing at the clock on the dresser, her eyes widening. “Oh my! Sky, I have to go or I’m going to be late!” she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you later. Love you!” She turned and raced out the door.

  “Love you too!” Sky shouted back, sighing, and falling back on the bed. He stared up at the white, pebbled ceiling above him, trying to gather his thoughts. What kind of date should he plan? What would Jasmine like? What would make her swoon?

  “Sky?”

  A knock sounded on the door, interrupting his thoughts. He sat up, glancing at the doorway. “Joss?”

  “Hey Sky, sorry to interrupt,” Josslyn said, poking her head into the room. “But I need your help with something.”

  “What?”

  “It’s easier if I show you,” Josslyn said, grabbing Sky’s jacket off the hook behind the door, and tossing at him. “Come with me.”

  “Where?” Sky asked, eyeing her warily, as he shrugged into his leather jacket.

  “Into the city.”

  “Alright, Girls, there you go,” Jorja said, braking the car to a stop, and watching the girls scramble out of the vehicle. “Have a good day.”

  “Bye, Jorja!” Jami shouted, turning, and racing off across the lawn toward a group of girls.

  “Thanks for the ride!” Jessi added as she met up with a young boy, riding his skateboard. Must be Nathan, Jorja thought, smiling as she watched the two walk off. He is kind of cute.

  “Thanks… I guess,” Josi said, pausing, and glancing over her shoulder at her aunt. “I don’t know how much fun I can have without my phone.”

  “Believe it or not, there was a time when we didn’t have technology to entertain us. You’ll be fine,” Jorja said, knowing full well that Josi was trying to pit her against Josslyn. “Josi, Josslyn did the right thing. There are rules for a reason, and you need to learn to follow them.”

  “It’s just so weird. Having someone who cares, I’m not used to that.” Josi paused a moment. “But what about you? Are you really going to that interview?”

  “Probably not,” Jorja said. “I would just be so bored! I like being active. I just need to find something I’m passionate about. Plus, I get this feeling you don’t really want your aunt working where you go to school.”

  “Not really,” Josi muttered. “So, what are you going to do?”

  “First, find that damned sapphire!” Jorja shouted. “I’ll see you after school, Josi.” She gunned the engine to life, stepping on the gas, and raced off down the road.

  “Well, she’s a regular hell on wheels,” Josi muttered, rolling her eyes as she spun on her heel, and disappeared through the crowd. She weaved through the mass of teenagers, stopping next to Jami. “Jami, what’s going on? Why’s everyone out here? Usually everyone’s in the school by now.”

  “Because of that,” Jami said, pointing toward the flagpole, as the crowd parted. They all stared at the young, red-haired girl taped to the flagpole. Holes were patterned on her arms, her legs, as her lifeless eyes stared at them.

  “Oh my God! That’s terrible!” Jessi cried, staring up at the body. “Who would to something like this to her? To anyone!”

  “She’s not the only teenager to show up like this,” Nathan said, raising his camera, and snatching a photo of the girl. “Just this last week, there have been five young girls found dead around town, who have been missing for quite some time. This is Stephanie.”

  “Wait. Isn’t Stephanie the girl who stood up to…” Jessi trailed off, glancing over at Nathan. “Who was that boy? The bully of the school?”

  “Pete?”

  “Yes, Pete! She stood up to him, didn’t she?”

  “Yes, she did. In fact, there he is right now.” Nathan pointed to the boy, as he stood next to the flagpole, taking a selfie with the girl.

  “Classy,” Jami said, rage filling her as she watched the boy laughing. “Does he have no consideration at all? I—”

  “Attention students,” the intercom suddenly blared through the air, interrupting her. Everyone stopped, turning to listen. “Due to the unfortunate circumstances of what was found in the courtyard of the school this morning, classes have been canceled. Class will resume on Monday. Enjoy your week, and please, pray for those who we knew, but who are gone now.”

  “Whoo!”

  Hoots from the kids around them suddenly f
illed the air, and Josi rolled her eyes, as she watched them celebrate. “Sure. Let’s celebrate the fact that we don’t have school for the rest of the week because of the dead girl in front of us. What is wrong with people?”

  “It’s the world we live in, Josi,” Jami said, glancing over at Nathan. “Nathan, you said that kids are popping up dead all over the city”

  “Yes. Look.” Nathan pulled a folder out of his backpack, showing them the photos. “They all have the same marks. Holes lining their arms, their legs. It has to be the same monster.”

  “And just how did you get these?” Josi asked, huddling close.

  “The medical examiner at the precinct. He’s a close friend of the family, plus he owed me a favor.”

  “Do you think we could borrow these?” Jessi asked.

  “I guess.” Nathan raised a brow at her. “Why? You think it’s something demonic?”

  “It’s definitely in the realm of the possibilities,” Jessi said, cocking her head to the side, something sounding nearby. “Wait a minute. I hear something.”

  “What?”

  Jessi held a hand up, shushing all of them.

  “We need more sacrifices if the prophecy is to be completed.”

  “Something about sacrifices,” she said, turning to look at the three around her. “And a prophecy.”

  “Sounds demonic to me,” Jami said, grabbing Josi by the hand and pulling her down the sidewalk. “Come on!”

  “Jami! Where are we going?” Josi asked, gasping, as Jami dragged her down the sidewalk.

  “Home!” Jessi cried, hurrying after them. “Where else?”

  “Do I get to come?” Nathan asked, hurrying after them.

  “No!”

  “Jade… why did you bring me here?” Julie asked as they walked through the gates of the cemetery, weaving through the headstones.

  “Because it’s been a while since you’ve been here. Since any of us have been here,” Jade said, pausing at the headstones and staring at the likes of Gillian, her daughter Jezebel, their great-great-great-great aunt, Jessica as they headed toward the mausoleum. “Look at all of them. Every single headstone is here. Isn’t it remarkable?”

  “Yes, it is,” Julie murmured, staring at the headstones. “Have these always been here? I don’t remember them.”

  “No, they haven’t. I’m guessing that when we got our powers, they were moved here.”

  “Just another great thing about this world, huh?” Julie asked, trotting up the steps, and wrapping her hand around the circular handle. The door creaked open, and she stepped inside, coughing as dust poured out from the crypt. “Well, that certainly hasn’t changed,” she muttered, as she brushed a cobweb out of the way, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and glanced over her shoulder. “I know what you’re trying to do, Jade.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You’re trying to remind me how important family is,” Julie said, refusing to believe that Jade was playing dumb. “I get it. I know how important family is, but you do understand why I’m mad at you, don’t you?”

  “I do,” Jade said, stepping up next to her and staring around the caskets lying in the mausoleum. “What I said to you, down in the underworld, it wasn’t right. I should have never said that, and I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you.”

  “But you need to understand where I’m coming from,” Jade continued. “You chose darkness, Julie! You turned your back on your family. On me! I was scared. So scared that I was going to lose you. I didn’t want to lose you! Hell, I’m your big sister. I’m supposed to protect you, and it killed me, that I couldn’t.”

  “I’m not a little girl anymore, Jade,” Julie said, softly. “I hear what you’re saying. I know that you were scared, but you have to let me make my own decisions. You can’t protect me from everything. You need to let me go.” She stepped forward, laying her hand on her mother’s casket. “You need to do what Gram did for mom all those years ago. Let her live her life.”

  “But…”

  “And I know you can’t begin to understand this, but I did love Elijah.”

  “Julie, he was a demon!”

  “Yes, he was, but he was also the first person to make me feel alive. He treated me like no one had ever treated me before. He actually listened to me! He was sweet, kind, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I was fragile. Like I was going to break, if the smallest thing went wrong.”

  “I don’t…”

  “Yes, you do,” Julie said, interrupting her. “Ever since my accident five years ago, you have treated me like the weak link in the family. Oh, we can’t let Julie hear that, she might fall apart. Oh, Julie can’t do that, she might strain herself. She might hurt herself. I’m not going to break, Jade! I’m strong, I know I am, and I’m going to prove it to you. Which is why I applied to the police academy.”

  “You what?” Jade’s mouth dropped open. “Julie! That’s so dangerous! You could get hurt or killed!”

  “It’s what I want to do with my life,” Julie said, ignoring her protest. “But don’t worry, I’m still going to finish college and get my degree in psychology. I think it’ll help me in the long run, but I also need to do something, Jade. I need to do something, so I have no regrets down the line.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “It’s not your decision to make, Jade!” Julie snapped. “Did you not hear me? It’s mine. Mine and mine only, and I have already made it. You can either accept it or not, I really don’t care.” She sighed. “But you are right, Jade. We can’t keep this war between us going on, and you are right. I did give into darkness, and I put you and everyone I love in danger. I am so sorry, but you also have to remember that the whole reason I even went evil, was because I saved all of you on Halloween! I am sorry I scared you, sorry you felt that I didn’t need you anymore, but I will always need you, Jade. You’re my big sister. You’re my family, and no matter what you say or do, I will always love you.”

  “I love you too, Julie,” Jade said, a tear streaking down her cheek, and she pulled Julie in for a hug. “No matter what, and remember, Tony used to be my boyfriend. I loved him at one point too.”

  “Well, it’s about time you too made up.”

  The soft, feminine voice floated through the air, and they jumped. They both spun around, their eyes widening when they saw Jillian Morgan step out from the shadows. Her blonde hair, as beautiful as ever, as she stood there in the middle of the room, transparent in front of them.

  “Mom?”

  “Hello Jade. Hello Julie. You know, it’s about time you two had this little heart to heart. The tension between you two was nearly killing me! Not to mention what it’s doing to your pour sisters!”

  “Mom, don’t be so dramatic. You’re already dead,” Jade said, propping her hands on her hips. “And Julie and I are fine. Now.”

  “Yes, now you are, but you really shouldn’t be so hard on your sister, Jade,” Jillian said, staring at her middle daughter. “After all, it could have just as easily been you who had given into the darkness. Not everyone is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and you need to remember that. You also need to learn to trust the people around you, or you’ll have no one left.”

  “I—”

  “But that’s beside the point. Julie, did you tell her?”

  “Tell her what?”

  “About your dream.”

  “What dream?” Jade asked, jerking her head around to stare at Julie.

  “Uh, the dream I had last night,” Julie said, glancing at her mother. “How do you know about that?”

  “When are you going to realize that I know everything?” Jillian asked, rolling her eyes.

  “You had a dream?” Jade asked, frowning. “Anyone can dream, Julie.”

  “Not like this,” Julie told her, suddenly realizing that everything she’d experienced in her dream last night has been real. Dad was right! My power is growing! “It’s part of my premonition power, it’s growing, a
nd I can actually feel everything in my dreams. The sand underneath my feet, the sun shining down on me, even Dad…” She suddenly froze, swinging around to look at her mother. “Wait a minute! The wasteland is really…real?”

  “Very much so.”

  “What’s the wasteland?” Jade asked, confused, as she looked from her mother to her sister.

  “The place demons go once they’re vanquished,” Julie said, filling her in. “But for some reason Dad’s there. The Gods sent him there, for breaking the rules one too many times.

  “Not the Gods,” Jillian said. “One God. Liam.”

  “But why?”

  “Because he has deemed that the half-breeds in the magical world, half-witches, half-demons, half-angels are not valuable assets to the magical world and is on a mission to get rid of them. Which means, he’s coming for all of you,” Jillian said, just as the door behind them slammed open. “Girl, run!”

  “There they are!”

  Black angels suddenly flooded the crypt, one of the black angels racing forward and pointing his spear at them. “Seize them! For Liam!”

  “Ahh… Jade. Do you maybe wanna get us out of here?” Julie asked, glancing over at Jade.

  “Oh yeah I do!” Jade cried, grabbing Julie by the hand.

  “Nah. Uh. Uh.” A black angel shook his finger at her, slamming his spear on the ground. The white ball on top of the spear glowed, a white dome appearing above them in the crypt.

  “Jade, now!”

  Jade closed her eyes, her body disappearing in a reign of electricity. She and Julie cried out, their bodies bouncing from one side of the dome to the other, before dropping to the ground with a loud thunk.

  “Ugh. What’s happened?” Julie asked, holding a hand to her head. “Why can’t you teleport out?”

  “They enchanted the room,” Jade said, holding a hand to her own head, blinking away the dots as she stared at the men surrounding them. “You know who these men are, don’t you, Julie?”

  Julie shook her head. “No. Who are they?”

  “Black angels,” Jade said, faintly remembering that Julie hadn’t had the chance to meet them yet.