Page 79 of Spell Ya Later

“Draven knows how many of us there are. There’s no point in trying to use our numbers to our advantage,” Mom says. “It may behoove us to simply walk in the front door.”

“Draven. Can we stop him, kill him, whatever it is you do to warlocks?” Laura asks.

Grandma and Mom share a look. A look that says everything without saying anything at all.

“No.” Grandma turns to Laura. “Not without any prep time. Our best option is a banishment.”

“And that’s different how?” Laura blinks twice.

Mom sighs. “It doesn’t kill him. Banishing to Hell is a Band-Aid, a temporary fix to buy us some time. Crawling his way out of Hell will take him at least a few months while we figure out how to stop him permanently.”

“It’s much easier. Your mother and I can do it and draw from your power. Your presence is all that is needed.”

“Good, considering I know literally nothing about magic.” I don’t imagine the bitterness in Laura’s tone. As far behind as I am, she’s even farther.

Because I didn’t take her with me. I left her here.

“We should do a focusing session. Call unto our magic so we’re ready for Draven. We will have a small window of time to perform the banishment and we should be as ready as possible. Especially because he will probably be expecting it.” Grandma stands. “To the shop?”

Chapter 29

Dead Bitches

“Do you have an element, Laura?” I ask as we walk to the shop. Mom and Grandma are in front of us, quietly murmuring to each other as their feet crunch fallen leaves.

The image of Noah strapped to a chair, or beaten on the floor, sticks in my head permanently. I can’t scrub it from my brain no matter how hard I try. Maybe focusing on Laura, and how I’ve also failed her, will help distract me.

“A what now?” she asks, blonde hair whipping and tangling around her face in the breeze I can’t quite control. Her arms are crossed and she keeps a few feet between us as we walk. Closed off as ever.

“Every witch has an element we’re connected to. You know, water, fire, earth, and air. Grandma is earth and I’m air. Mom is water.”

“Hmph.” She glances at their backs. “I didn’t know that.”

There’s so much you don’t know. There’s so much we both don’t know.

“I’m sorry they took Noah,” she continues, her eyebrows drawing together in concern.

The breeze ruffles my hair, sending a shiver down my spine. “He was taken while he was getting coffee. I was only a few feetaway and I had no idea. He’s gone and I didn’t even try to protect him.”

Our next few steps are in silence. The early fall morning swirls around us in a wash of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens.

“Do you feel like it’s your fault? Like he would’ve been better off if he weren’t your soulmate? Because I think sometimes Mom regrets falling in love with Dad...”

I kick a pebble down the sidewalk. “He’d be better off without me for sure. At the very least he’d be safer. But I can’t regret a single moment spent with him. I love him.”

Her eyebrows raise up into her hair as those liquid-gold eyes burn a hole in my side. “Youlovehim? I didn’t think you could love anyone.”

“Thanks.” I try to hide the physical pain that comment causes. Doesn’t she know how much I love her? How I’d do anything for her? She was my entire life, I practically raised her. I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t love her.

“That’s not what I—” she blows out a heavy breath. “Never mind.”

The shop comes into view, as do the residents of Chagrin Falls enjoying their mornings. Completely oblivious to the pain enveloping four random women.

“How do you know what your element is?” Laura asks, arms still wrapped around herself like a shield.

I shrug. “You just know. Something happens that’s out of your control and it’s like a little clue. I controlled a breeze and Grandma said it was because I was connected to the air. Then I levitated.”

Her forehead creases in thought.