Hooked [Complete]

31. Ostara Part 4: Witch's Hunt

Author's Note: This is Dru's Ostara chapter. As you might guess, Dru finds herself a little conflicted today, after her night with Hearne. There's something else going on with Dru, too...she feels...different...hmm...

Songs for this Chapter:

Dru's song for the Hunt : Stand By You by Rachel Platton. Dru's experience with Hearne has sparked a certain loyalty to Hearne that will drive her for the rest of the novel.

Sean's serenade to Dru: I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz. Love this song. Let's see if Sean means it...because he and Dru are really going to be tested from here on out...

Dru's POV

"I cannot get over the new Lana." I'm hugging her for the fifth time since the Ritual. "It's like your don't-fuck-with-me vibe shifted from Courtney Love to a Viking Princess."

"What about you?" she grins. "Getting schooled by teacher is apparently doing wonders for your sense of style. You should get that dress in black."

I roll my eyes and tug at the short skirt. Hearne had bought—or magicked?—the dress—a white, bell-sleeved, short-hemmed, daisy-crocheted hippie-chick look-at-me dress. 

Why don't you show those gorgeous legs off...as long as you're going somewhere with me? he'd said. The dress was not my normal style, but I had to admit, I felt surprisingly good in it.

Especially when Sean's eyes had dragged down my legs and up again as he crowned me with my honeysuckle garland. Who made him the Queen-maker anyway?

You look...perfect, he'd said, but his lips had twitched like he wanted to say more. Honestly, it didn't matter what he said, what he didn't say. He could have said I looked like a plate of overcooked spaghetti, and I would have still felt like a goddess, because for that one sentence he used the voice, and he made me feel perfect, in his eyes. Sean told me that he can cast with his voice, and sometimes, he doesn't even realize he's doing it. Witchtimbre, it's called.

But when he used Witchtimbre as he crowned me, he did it on purpose. He was loving me with his voice.

So it was the best moment...the Witchtimbre, the flowers he crowned me with, the confidence I felt beneath his smile, the feeling that I tried to put into the simple kiss I planted on his cheek, the way he cupped my cheek to let me know, he knew what was I was feeling for him, because he felt the same for me. I felt so energized. So good.

And then it passed, and he moved to Carrie's side, and I went to join Hearne, as they exited the tent with Lana and started the ritual.

Now the ritual is over, and I feel...drained. And confused. The moment with Sean wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought I would feel guilty about last night with Hearne. I didn't.

But when I look over at Hearne, and see him talking with Grace and Isabel, I feel guilty about the moment with Sean. Because Hearne raised something in me last night. And today, at the ritual, too—there's so much magic in the air. It makes me feel...different. It makes me see Hearne differently. It makes me feel...loyal to him somehow? Like he deserves my attention. Especially today.

But then a second later, I wonder where Sean and Carrie went, and I feel like a horrible person again. Then,  something else catches my attention and I become suddenly desperate for Hearne to come grab my ass and crush me into a sloppy, feverish kiss. I need Hearne's energy—I'm super tired from last night but suddenly I want to work magic. Probably more magic than I'm capable of.