Inner Demons

16. Call Forth Her Demon

In my room, I got under the covers fully dressed and waited. I was willing to bet that Brooke's final initiation would take place at three a.m., so I had just over an hour before I needed to venture out back to the garden. I kept myself awake by thinking of the way Jackson's lips felt against mine.

Drake was technically my boyfriend, but what kind of boyfriend got drunk when he was supposed to drive you home, then grabbed your arm and called you a bitch when it was time to leave? Not one worth keeping, that's for sure. Thinking about the way he treated me, I guess I wasn't all that surprised. I should have known he was too good to be true.

He'd just been hiding his true nature. For what reason? So he could have a girlfriend on the cheerleading squad? He'd mentioned once how important that was to his mother. If I had to guess, I would say his mother was probably an official member of the Order of Shadows and wanted to make darn sure her boy was going to be with a girl who was in the Order as well. It was no secret that women in the Order were rich, beautiful and successful. Usually, their husbands were equally as successful, probably due to their wife's magical abilities.

I had no idea how much the men in this town actually knew about the Order, if anything, but a man married to a woman in the Order was automatically rich and powerful in his community. It made sense his mother wanted that for him.

She had another thing coming to her if she thought I was ever going to marry Drake Ashworth, though. Not after tonight.

I sighed and pulled the covers from my body. Why couldn't I just be a normal teenager with normal parents, a house with a white-picket fence, a dog, and normal everyday problems, like homework?

On my way to the bathroom, a flash of light out near the garden caught my eye. My stomach twisted into knots.

They're here.

I glanced at the clock. They were earlier than I expected. I had work to do. I needed to make sure I wouldn't be seen, so I sat in the middle of the floor in my room, palms up on my knees, and meditated. Deep breaths in and out let me fall slowly into a trance-like state until I could feel the energy of the earth underneath me. Strange how I could be all the way up on the second floor and still feel so grounded and connected.

The glamour I needed tonight was tricky. I needed to make myself completely invisible. I'd been practicing it like crazy for days, but it was a tough illusion to hold onto. I had no idea how long I could keep it up, but it was my only chance at sneaking into the ritual.

I stared at my sapphire necklace in the mirror. The illusion would be easier to hold without it. My fingers hesitated over the clasp. This necklace had saved my life once before. I didn't like the thought of ever being without it. Then again, I wouldn't need saving if the illusion held.

I unclasped the necklace and set it on top of my dresser.

I stripped down to my underwear and sat on the floor. I concentrated on making every inch of my body invisible from the hair on my head to the tips of my toes. I felt a strange, warm tingle pulse through my body. The tattoo wriggled across my back in excitement. When I opened my eyes, I was gone.

My happiness over the success of the spell almost caused me to lose my concentration, but I quickly re-centered. I went to leave my room, but the door was locked. I almost laughed. Certainly they didn't think a locked door could hold me in this room. Mrs. King had already taught me how to move objects with my thoughts. All I had to do was imagine the lock on the other side of the door flipping over. I was free within seconds.

I left my room, made my way downstairs and walked to the garden. More of the Order had arrived. The women all wore black capes with the hoods drawn over their heads so their faces were masked in shadow. A few torches were lit along the pathway and I followed a little way behind one of the Order members.