Long after the light faded from the sky and the houses went dark, Lux sat with her toes dipped in the still warm waters of the Willoughby's pond. A light had been installed years ago for safety reasons, but she'd never been one to slip out for late night swims. At the moment, she was thankful for its reassuring presence. After battling demons in the day, she had no desire to sit alone in the dark.
Stirring up ripples around her feet, she relived the days since her birthday...no-the days since her Grandmother and Declan had first arrived. Because that was when everything really changed. Irritation swelled within her, mingling with the ache that was her constant companion. A small part of her wanted her original summer plans: picking colleges, getting ahead in her AP classes, working, and kissing a boy.
Flopping down on her back, she smiled brightly. She'd managed that much, at least. The smile faded. Even that hadn't been as simple as it should've been. And she didn't know where they were going with their attraction. He'd seemed clear about his intentions earlier, but she didn't know if she was strong enough to weather the storm if he changed his mind again.
Overhead the sky flickered with heat lightning, the outlines of the clouds appearing like images on an x-ray. The breeze carried the fresh scent of rain from miles away, and the drop in temperature warned of an incoming storm. Tomorrow would be a muggy mess, but tonight, rain would wash the world clean.
Lux was envious.
If someone had asked her a year ago how she'd react to meeting her father, she'd have said with joy and confusion. Not anger. It was in her nature to forgive and give second chances. Or so she'd thought. She might have been willing to dismiss her feelings if the man hadn't immediately shut her out to speak to her mother in private. Just more secrets to keep from her.
"How long are you two going to stand back there?" She twisted to her side and peered at the figures hiding in the shadows. Kitty and Travis stepped forward, sheepish grins on their faces. Faces that were still pale from the day's events.
"Just seeing if you still got it boo," Travis joked, dropping to the ground beside her. He reached over and pulled her into a crushing hug that she returned.
"You okay?" Kitty asked, bypassing the jokes to get to the heart of the matter.
"You heard then."
"Declan called me. He seemed to think you'd need your friends."
"Does anyone else miss this?" Travis asked, tossing a pebble into the water. The soft kerplunk added percussion to the bug's buzzing orchestra.
"Sitting outside during bad weather, getting eaten by skeeters? I did that last night."
"Ha, Kit Kat. Always with the clever remarks." He tweaked her nose, and she stuck her tongue out. The simple sense of familiarity between friends soothed Lux's heart. "No, I meant. Just us. Not that your little witchy pals aren't fun- and lord knows the eye candy is better than anything we have at school- but sometimes I wish it could be like it used to be."
Kitty frowned and twisted a piece of thread on her denim shorts. "But it can't be, can it? Even if we weren't at the center of this, the problems would be the same. The Gateways would still be in danger, and if we weren't witches, we would depend on others to save us. I'll take the power and control."
"Damn Kitty," Lux said, her friend's logic amazing her. The rightness of what she said settled over her. Regardless of if she could help her Circle or not, she would be thankful that she wasn't ignorant of the truth.
"And Lux," Kitty continued, a strange wavering tone entering her voice, "We're gonna figure this out. Okay. You've got a bunch of crazy ass people who will do anything for you. Not to mention a new daddy, who may or may not be human?"
YOU ARE READING
The Opal Witch
Fantasy[Completed] Lux's senior year of high school had been carefully mapped out since her freshman year. Snag the lead in the school play, chalk up a few more volunteer hours, and ace her AP English class. Maybe even get her first kiss out of the way bef...
