Southern Secrets: Book 2 in Southern Charms Series

Empath

Rose

Willow waited for me by her locker after school. I started to ask her how long she'd been waiting for me, but the words died on my lips as the state of my friend became obvious. Her short hair was greasy, brown eyes were dull, and pink lips were turned down. An insane fear gripped me, and I grabbed her chin and jerked her around so I could stare into her face.

"I'm not possessed," she mumbled, shrugging me off.

Shoulders sagging, I lifted my brows and asked, "How pathetic am I and how sad is it that you knew exactly what I was doing?"

"Pretty sad, but I'm equally pathetic. I check on my parents every night. Especially my Mom."

I wondered if that explained her listless look. It would be easier to ask her what was bothering her, but I knew Willow well enough to know she shared nothing until she was ready. Pushing only made her clam up longer.

Instead, I asked, "You don't think Luis would do that to his little sister? Do you? I thought they were close."

"I don't think anyone is off limits."

We fell into step as we walked outside. The only evidence of yesterday's rain was a slight springiness to the ground, and a few puddles lingering in places unbothered by the day's bright sunshine. A walk in the woods today would require a light jacket to keep warm.

Or a warm body to snuggle up against.

"Stop thinking about my cousin," Willow said, her expression pinched as she looked me over.

"I'm not!"

"The shrill hitch at the end of your voice says otherwise."

"You're the one who brought him up."

"I wish you two would just make up." Her voice grew somber. "It's funny, really. We weren't really a group for very long, but now I feel like it's wrong for us to not all be together. What happened between you two?"

It was easy to forget Willow didn't know the truth about my deal with Malphas- or Ash's for that matter. Protecting her from what felt like the inevitable made sense a few weeks ago, but it was getting harder and harder to keep secrets from her. Especially after the events in the forest yesterday. Ash and I had become distracted by our attraction and apologies, but we needed to sit down and talk about what happened.

Time was running out. Powerful magic was at play, and I needed all the help I could get, which is part of the reason we were headed to my stepmother's house.

"Look," I said, taking her by the arm and rushing her to the lane leading to Alma's and Daddy's. It was about as far from Mama's house as they could get, but it wasn't because Alma wanted to avoid the ex-wife. It was so Daddy could avoid Clemmy.

"Geez, Rosie," Willow puffed, pulling free and bending over to catch her breath. "Next time you're in that big of a hurry just let me know. I'll teleport us there."

A young family walked by us as we waited at the end of the drive. The mother waved hello to Willow, but when she spied me, she put her hands on her children's shoulders and tugged them close to her body as if I might lunge for them and bite them- or worse, give them whatever disease the town's people believed stole my magic.

This was part of the reason I didn't visit my father often. With his home's proximity to town, it felt like I never escaped the scrutiny and frowns, and almost without fail, they experienced an endless stream of visitors the entire time I was at the house. Alma promised to make poppets of every single person who dropped in next time.

Walking up the long drive, I worked up the courage to tell Willow the truth, but whenever I glanced at my friend, all the brave words fled faster than me hiding from Jemina when she was PMSing.

"Oh my gosh, spit it out," Willow whined, pushing her hand against her forehead. "Your emotions are giving me a literal headache."

"Wait, what?" I shrieked. "Empathy is a Gift."

"More like a curse."

"But you turned seventeen months ago. How are you developing a new Gift?"

She scrubbed her hand across her face and drew in two deep breaths. "It started happening a few days after the party. You know, that party. When I Siphoned the impoten magic. I ignored for a while because I thought I was losing my mind, or maybe I really was possessed."

I processed what she said, growing sick to my stomach when I came to the only logical conclusion. "You think someone there was like Charlie, and you took their Gift of Empathy?"

She nodded, tears streaking down her face. We stood at the halfway point of the driveway. The evening sun set Alma's cottage aglow, and the strips of clouds were turning pink against the azure sky. It was a peaceful mask that hid the turbulence brewing in this town and in the girl standing in front of me.

"I asked my mom if anyone in our family ever presented new Gifts later in life. She hadn't heard of such a thing, and I asked some teachers at school. Apparently, all our Gifts manifest when we turn seventeen. Some more subtle ones are easier to miss, but they all assured me Empathy was not one of the subtle ones. I could've told them that."

"Oh, Willow-"

"Rose, I feel so dirty. It's like having this foreign thing inside of me that doesn't belong."

Biting my lip, I threw my arms around her neck and tried to push as much positivity from my mind as possible. It must have worked because she relaxed and returned the hug.

"You should not feel guilty for possessing this Gift," I said. Squeezing her hands tight, I continued, "You didn't set out to steal it, and I wonder how much of it feeling foreign has less to do with it being stolen and more to do with the Gift itself."

"What do you mean?"

"Empathy is a unique type of magic that's all about inner workings. You're not taking control of the weather or sending an object across a room. You're literally experiencing someone else's emotions, and I'm sure that's uncomfortable. Is that what has you looking so run down right now?"

Not looking me in the eye, she nodded. "Yeah. That's it. I-I just don't know what to do. I've got to learn to control it, or I will go crazy."

"Isn't Lorna Coventry the Empathy Specialist?"

Willow started toward Alma's again, and I followed, easily catching up to my petite friend despite her rapid pace. Her cheeks were flushed, and she clenched her fists.

"Yeah, but I don't know how to explain to her why I'm just now seeking her out. I can't tell her the truth, Rose. Could you imagine what people would do if they thought I was a Siphon? Let me tell you, I know why they were hunted to extinction. It's wrong what they do."

She uttered the word siphon as though it tasted like sewage. I tripped, landing hard on my knees for the second time in two days. When Willow tried to help me up, I waved her away, terrified she would see the truth in my eyes.

"Are you okay?

"I'm fine," I said, "Nothing Alma can't fix right up when we get in the house."

"Rosie!"

My baby brother burst out of the house and barreled into my legs, nearly sending me back to the ground. I laughed, picking up him up under his armpits and swinging him around. He snuggled into my neck, peppering the skin with a dozen kisses before squirming to be put down.

"When did you get so big little man?"

Remy smirked. "You said that last time, and I'm not any bigger."

"I was thinking you two would turn back the way you came," Alma said, stepping out onto the porch with one hand resting on her swollen stomach. "Come on in. I've got some snacks prepared while I cook supper. Best hurry before Ash eats them all."

"Ash?" Willow gasped, shooting me an accusing look with little heat.

"I didn't invite him," I hissed, hating how my heart started thumping faster.

Alma had started back inside, but she looked over her shoulder and replied,. "I Saw you two coming and Knew he had to be here for this talk. Best be telling Willow what's happening before we talk. No more secrets."