House Of Ivy And Sorrow Part 27

I shake my head. "No!"

This will work. I have to believe that. If I don't, that means there's nothing I can do but watch Nana die and wait for my own painful death.

I tear myself from Gwen's hold, going back to Levi. He puts his arm around me protectively. "It's not a trap," he says. "I want him dead as much as anyone."

Kat looks like she's about to rip his heart out, but she takes a deep breath and tries to calm herself. "Jo, please, don't do this. I might not know a lot about magic, but watching you go through all this has taught me one thing: nothing good can come from giving a guy magic. You know that's true. I know you do."

A lump forms in my throat. I try to tell myself she's wrong, but all I can think of is the story about how the Shadows came to be. The woman gave away her magic for love, and that one decision is still killing witches today.

"You don't even know him," Gwen says, her voice sad. "You shouldn't be relying on a stranger; you should be relying on your friends, on the people who love you."

Levi spins me around to face him. "Don't listen to them. They don't have a clue what they're talking about-they don't even have magic."

The anger in his voice makes the hair on my neck stand. I look back at them, their fear obvious. They are my friends, my best friends. I've spent most of my life with them, and I don't like seeing them this scared. "They may not have magic . . . but they do know me."

Kat takes a few daring steps closer. "If there isn't a way, we'll make a way, okay? You can do anything. I truly believe that."

"You don't need him," Gwen says. "You don't have to make this sacrifice."

"Shut up!" Levi's arm tightens around me. "We don't have time for this s.h.i.+t! Have you not seen the sky? He is at her doorstep, and you want her to throw away her only chance at survival? You guys are the evil people here."

"Your way isn't survival-it's a slower death!" Gwen screams.

I tense, her words was.h.i.+ng over me like freezing cold water. What am I doing? I don't want this-I know I don't want this, and yet here I am ready to do it anyway. I'm crazy. No, just desperate. And afraid.

Neither of which is a good reason to be Cursed.

I push him away, my heart pounding a thousand times a minute. "I can't do this. I couldn't even say the words."

"Josephine," Levi says through his teeth. "Don't be stupid."

I look him in the eye. I'm not angry-this is all he knows; of course there's no other way to him-but my brain is finally working, and so is my gut. "I'm not being stupid. I . . . I think I have an idea, thanks to my friends."

"It won't work."

I hold my head up high. "Won't know until I try, and if you can't trust me then maybe they're right about you. If everything you said was true, you'll let me go, Levi."

His eyes go wild, to the point where I'm waiting for a shadowy Curse to spew out of him. It scares me, the fury he holds inside. His deepest, darkest desires ooze out of him, the shadows around him intensifying. He tries to be good, but there is a part of him that wants to take me and be done with it, that wants to consume every bit of me as his own.

He falls back on the tree, his head cradled in his hands. The shadows dim. "You are such a pain in the a.s.s."

I glare at him, angry that he would have taken me despite knowing all the evil he keeps inside. I feel like such a fool for even considering the risk. "The feeling's mutual."

"It's not my fault if you die," he says.

"Nope. But if I die, at least I know I had control to the end. I am free, unlike you."

As he curls up on the ground, it's as if I can see the shackles that bind him. He's a prisoner to magic. "Leave. Before I change my mind."

I rush home with Gwen and Kat by my side. Once I reach the porch, I stop to catch my breath, and they hug me. I let out a sigh of relief, somehow at peace though I've made this a thousand times harder on myself. But I won't let anything control me, not magic or fear or even a beautiful boy.

"What's the plan?" Gwen asks, our faces still close.

I gulp, not even sure I can do it. But I have to try. "Are you really willing to do anything for me?"

"Of course," Kat says.

Gwen rolls her eyes. "Duh."

"Okay. To the apothecary, then."

FORTY-FIVE.

The Crafts come in as I heft the biggest cauldron we have onto the table. "How's the Willow's End barrier?" I ask, searching for the tools I need. Pliers. Knife. Scissors. Lots of cloth bandages. This spell has to work; otherwise the rest of my plan won't.

No pressure.

Maggie cringes. "It's not looking good."

"We did the best we could," Tess says. "Hopefully it will buy us time."

Prudence raises an eyebrow at the materials I've gathered. "And what are you up to? This doesn't look like any spell I know."

"Because it isn't." I pull out the chameleon scales. Definitely need something to denote transformation. While I'm at it, I grab a jar of coc.o.o.ns. "I'm making it up as I go, and no, I don't need to hear how crazy I am. I'm well aware."

Pru holds up her hands. "As long as you know."

"Okay . . ." I survey what I have, knowing it's not enough. "Mags, grab me a mother-bear heart and a cub stomach from the cellar. Tessa, I need a lock of Nana's hair. And Pru, I need the Hemlock braid from the door to the histories."

As I wait for them to return, I pace and pace, focusing on what I want my magic to do. I am in control. It will listen to me.

"Jo?" Kat startles me out of my trance.

"Huh?"

"You still haven't told us what you're doing."

Gwen looks at my supplies. "It looks scary."

I take a deep breath. "It is, but we need more power. We need to intensify the next spell as much as we can, and we do that by channeling a spell together. With many witches."

Kat raises an eyebrow. "Wait. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

I nod. "I'm going to make you and Gwen Hemlocks."

"As in . . . witches?" Gwen says. "Can you do that?"

"I don't actually know. You both got me thinking about it back there with Levi. Giving magic to guys definitely isn't good, but what about giving it to other girls? Girls I love as much as my own family, no less. I can rely on you. I always have." I bite my lip, suddenly worried this is too much for them. "Like you said, I should turn to the people who care about me, not a complete stranger. So, what do you think?"

They exchange glances, and both their mouths slowly stretch into smiles.

"You're serious?" Kat asks.

I nod.

Gwen laughs. "Nah, no magic for me. Who'd want that?"

"What are we giving? A toe? A finger?" Kat eyes the tools. "A tooth?"

I shake my head. "Nothing so serious. This is mostly me. We're already bound together-you've done your-" My eyes go wide when my dad comes through the door carrying Nana. "What are you doing? You need to rest!"

"She insisted." Tessa comes in behind them. "I thought it might be a good idea to have her close, considering you're about to make up a spell."

I purse my lips, forcing myself not to feel childish. "True."

"The chair will do, Joseph. Set me there," Nana whispers.

He shakes his head and sits in her chair, the one she once commanded this house from. The one that will be left empty forever if I fail. "I think I'll hold on to you. Carmina would want that."

She pats his chest. "You dear boy. I should have liked to have met you sooner."

"Here you go." Maggie thunks the animal parts on the table as Prudence comes down with the family braid, glittery with beads and gems.

"Thank you." I take a deep breath as I venture a peek outside. The black-and-purple clouds hang so low it's as if they're creeping under the freeway. I can feel their weight, like particles of iron.

We don't have much time.

"Pru, Maggie, Tessa, I have no idea how long this will take, but make as many protection charms as you can before I'm done. Use whatever you must-it doesn't matter how rare the reagent at this point."

They nod, heading for the ceiling-high cabinets, full to the brim with powerful potential.

I grab a bundle of oak twigs, their age suggesting permanence and history. After setting them in the cauldron, I sprinkle willow leaves over them for place. This place. Which has become as much a part of us as we've become part of it. I pluck a pair of black swallowtail b.u.t.terfly wings from a case and put them in the center of my little nest.

Black, fragile wings-for the freedom and beautiful darkness magic is.

"Here goes nothing," I whisper as I put my hand over the cauldron. I close my eyes and let the magic surge through me. It sings my name, calling for me to get lost in it, but I call back.

Not this time. You are mine to wield.

The reagents spark with fire, the flames blue and red as everything melts into the beginnings of my potion. The transformation reagents come first. Then I unwrap the mother-bear heart, its love and protectiveness radiating from the frozen tissue already. The potion absorbs the heart the second I place it in the iridescent blue liquid. The bear-cub stomach comes next, its need and trust adding to the mix.

I grab a bundle of dried hemlock to seal this phase of the potion, but then I hesitate. I'm missing something . . . something else in the mix for family.

It's not loyalty-that should be taken care of because of the binding.

"What's wrong, Josephine?" Nana asks.

"I . . ." When our eyes meet, warmth envelops me. I look to my dad, his face creased in concern. They are everything to me. They make me so . . . "Nothing. I've got it." I almost knock Maggie over on my way to the herb cabinet. Searching the various jars and bottles, I finally find it: gardenia oil.

For joy.

A few drops, and the cauldron bubbles with glee. I pour more of my magic into it until it stabilizes. Then comes the dried hemlock.

"Isn't that . . . poisonous?" Kat asks.

I give her a flat look. "No comment on the bear heart, but this concerns you?"

Gwen smirks. "Bear heart won't kill us."

"Neither will this-it's a way to mark our family. It has certain powers for us. For you. Now shh-I need to concentrate." Putting both hands over the potion, I pick out each ingredient, weaving together the magic and place and family, making it permanent.

"Good, good," Nana whispers. "I see what you're doing."

I nod, relieved to have her input. "Now the payment."

I cut a tuft from the bottom of the Hemlock braid, the hair of every generation giving its power. Then I come over to Nana and clip a lock of her silver hair. She takes my hand. "You can do this. I believe you can do this."

I kiss her forehead. "I needed to hear that."

After her lock, I offer my own. Then comes the bigger stuff-the painful stuff. I'm not sure which to offer first, so I close my eyes and let my hand come down on something at random.

Pliers.

I let out a slow breath, the thought of pain making my heart pound. I run my tongue along my teeth. Which can I live without? How hard will I have to pull? Settling on a top right tooth-not too far back or front, hopefully concealable-I clamp the pliers down. The metallic taste makes my mouth water when it should be dry. My hands shake, and it sounds as if I'm not the only one who has stopped breathing.

I hear myself scream, and a shot of pain radiates through my cheek. The tooth, its long root white against the blood, sits between the pliers' tongs. My head spins, and before I know it, Gwen has me by the shoulders.

"Steady." She holds out some cloth. "Put it in your mouth. You're drooling blood."

"Oh."

Well, that hurt. It was probably good to start there. Maybe the rest won't be so bad. I put the tooth into the mixture, bracing myself for the next act.

"More?" Kat says when I put the pliers to my fingernail.

I nod. "I'm asking a lot-I must give a lot."

A fingernail.

A toenail.