OpheliaRyker blinked once, then threw his head back and roared with such veracious laughter that the entire pizza shop went silent. He cleared his throat, his eyes darting around. I watched in awe as the Alpha of the island blushed.I pointed at him, the smile on my face for once genuine. “That’s exactly what you get for laughing at me.”“Tell me what happened next,” He said, his eyes sparkling. “What did your teachers do? What about the other students?”“They were all horrified, obviously! It was dead silent too, and when I made it to the door I tried to pull myself up, but my damn foot was still asleep.” Laughter was bubbling out of me now too, trickling like a leaky faucet. “I had to nudge the door open and crawl out into the hallway. Goddess, it was mortifying.”“That is pretty bad, but it’s got nothing on my story.” Ryker said with such assurance that my laughter faded, and I instead raised my brows at him.“Really? Pray tell, Alpha. You don’t seem like the type to embarrass.”H
OpheliaAnother one of their strange cries split the air, followed by another, and another, until they melded into a chorus of screams. I closed my eyes, but it only made it worse. They sounded just like wailing infants, their voices far higher and shriller than they had any right to be. The hairs on the back of my neck lifted.“Ryker,” I breathed, my voice trembling. “What the hell are those things?”There was a strange rumble as the red eyes began to rise in height and grow brighter, burning like hot coals. Their cries continued to build, grinding against my skull like a hacksaw. I fought the urge to clamp my hands over my ears.“No clue, but I don’t think we should stick around to find out.”“Well, we can’t just move. They’re clearly watching us.” I hissed back.Flicking my eyes upwards, an idea popped into my head as I looked at the streetlamp. It was one of those that hung from an arch, making it possible to bend. Ryker followed my line of sight and made a small sound under his b
OpheliaMy eyes fluttered open as a set of harsh whispers pierced through my consciousness. It was impossible to keep still when my soul recognized the voices.“We know exactly how they got on the island. What I want to know is why that pezzo di merda sent a flock of demons …” His words were laced with venom, ending on a growl that left the rest unintelligible.Jude’s reply was softer, but no less intense. “And we will find out.”My heart began to race. They had to be talking about my father. Again. I took a steadying breath and pushed myself up. There was a dull throb in the places where I’d been wounded by the demon birds. I glanced down and saw white bandages covering parts of my body.“Bird wounds weren’t healing right.” At the sound of Jude’s voice I looked up. My mouth went dry. He was leaning against the wall of my bedroom, his fists jammed in his pockets. An indolent smile unfurled across his face as he caught me staring. Thankfully, he didn’t comment. “There was some kind of
OpheliaI waited until I heard his bedroom door close before letting out a slow breath. Turning back to the scrying bowl, I placed a quick silencing charm over the room to ensure the conversation would be private. I wouldn’t put it past Edward to eavesdrop.Magic spilled out of me in a steady stream. I let it seep into the herbs as I hastily poured them into the water. It was my sloppiest work, but I couldn’t focus more than a few seconds at a time. My mind would drift to those birds, and to the feelings stirring in my chest, and my hands would begin to shake.Scrying was an imperfect art. Much like a vast city with a network of alleyways, there were many ways to get to one place. I merely chose the straightest, fastest one.“Dad!” I shouted and my own voice echoed back at me. The water rippled, like rain disturbing the surface of a puddle, when my father’s face appeared. He stood over me as if I were lying on the ground. It made the angle of the image seem off. As the water was distu
NovaEarlier that night…After seeing the shadow more frequently over the last two weeks, I should have never let my guard down. I had just been so tired. It had been three, going on four, nights where I’d got little to no sleep. The shadow man wasn’t just a blip in my peripheral now. He was a fixture in the corner of the room, a feeling that swept over me like a wave of vertigo. The worst part was, I couldn’t tell if what I was seeing were real or if it were due to lack of sleep.The guilt intensified until I could no longer think straight.I picked a spot the size of a quarter along my temple. The platinum strands, so similar to my mother’s, littered the carpet around my vanity. Using a comb, I swept my part to the side an inch. It would cover the damage until I made another hair replenishment potion.Dad suggested I call the therapist, which is about the full extent of his advice these days. When he leaves his office, which isn’t often, I catch glimpses of him in the hallway. Sile
NovaSunlight crept through my curtains, assaulting my eyes until I had no choice but to peel myself off the floor. My body ached horribly from the uncomfortable position. The metallic eyeliner sigil had smudged, leaving glittery streaks across my cheek and arms. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and couldn’t help but gape at the disheveled witch staring back at me.Milkshake meowed again, likely for her breakfast, reminding me that it was well past morning. Not caring what I looked like, I trudged downstairs. Dad was in the kitchen making coffee, as he did most mornings. Most people ceased to function after losing their mate. Dad didn’t, he just stopped doing everything else.Upon entering I tripped over my own two feet and caught myself on the counter. Sitting there was the plate of cookies I’d hastily made last night. White chocolate macadamia. Frustrated with the spirit’s lack of response, I had shoved one into my mouth and stormed upstairs.Two sat on the plate currently
OpheliaI forced open an eye and grumbled, “Nova’s here? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”Edwards snarky reply came a moment later. He was still annoyed from earlier. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not as if you look like the physical manifestation of death or anything. You’ve also been incapacitated for eight hours. Besides, she’s not going anywhere. She’s been sitting on the front porch pouting since four.”Slapping my hand around until I found my cellphone, I tapped at the screen until the display popped up. The time read 6:58pm.She’s been out there for three hours?I dragged myself out of bed, my joints creaking in protest. The mirror confirmed Edwards’ assessment - my hair was a tangled mess, dark circles ringed my eyes, and my clothes were wrinkled. Still, the pain had all but faded since I’d vomited up the potion.Cautiously, I drew on my magic. Other than a bit of lingering nausea, I was able to conjure a change of clothes in minutes.Edward watched me skeptically as I stumbled out o
Ophelia“We’re insane. This is insane.” Nova fisted her hands in her hair and groaned something unintelligible about dark magic, demons, and her soul withering away. I recognized the pure hysteria in the sound. “But I need to sleep before I dismantle this house board by board and rip the slimy fucker out of the walls—”“Inhale,” I cut her off and she sucked in a ragged gasp. “Now hold it and exhale.”She remained silent.“Exhale, Nova.”Her face began to turn red.I rolled my eyes and made sure she saw it, but had to turn away as the urge to smile made my lips start twitching. Nova had always been dramatic, but Nova without her beauty sleep … whew. I could relate, and that’s the only reason why I was being nice to her about it. We were both being haunted by demons, mine were just of my own making.“Holding your breath won’t kill you, it’ll just make you pass out, which will likely bring the demon out sooner than we want.” I flicked her nose. “So, exhale.”Nova let out a long, shudderi
OpheliaThe back of the house was much like all the others in Lunar Isle. Neat, paved paths led to a swimming pool that glittered like a shined jewel.Sterling sat on a metal chair; his feet crossed at the ankles. I almost laughed at the sight of him sipping lemonade out of a glass, a small stem of mint teetering off the side.“This was not what I was expecting,” I confessed, pulling out the chair beside him. “No Victorian mansion, no imposing statues, no walls of dead ivy. You do live next to a graveyard though, so there’s that,” I added dryly.I had been coming around the house when I spotted a path that led to a set of wrought iron gates. Inside there were countless tombstones, some big and others small. I even spotted a few mausoleums.Sterling smiled but shrugged. “My affinity is death, and I don’t mind it. Apart from a few great Aunt’s who have boundary issues, they mostly leave me be.”“You said I have a magical trace on my phone.” I didn’t apologize for the abrupt change of su
OpheliaThe door swung open and slammed against the wall with a crash. The flames licking at my hands fizzled out, their life sucked away by the thing that stood at the foot of Nova’s bed.It was a shadow in the shape of a man, but the darkness it was made up of was unlike anything I’d ever seen. One glimpse at how it devoured all light, even that from Nova’s bedside lamp, and I could tell it wasn’t the kind of darkness one found in this world.The shadow had no lips, but somehow it stretched them back to flash its sharp teeth.“Nova!” I shouted, but I couldn’t see past the demon. Goddess, let her be alive. She had to be alive. I turned my sights on the demon and tucked away every ounce of fear I felt. This demon wasn’t like the mindless runts my father had summoned. It was capable of thinking—of understanding. Hopefully, it understood this. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you. I don’t care if I have to rip a portal into your fucking realm to do it.”Its grin began to widen, stretching un
Ophelia“Hopefully this won’t be necessary, but I’m going to leave this paste here with you.” I told Nova, referring to the foul-smelling gunk bubbling away in a mason jar beside her window. It was my first ever spell made using dark magic, and even now I could feel the oily substance clinging to my insides. Nova kept a healthy distance away. “Only use it to draw the entrapment sigil. There’s no dark magic being used in drawing it, so you’ll be fine.” Another bubble popped, and a small cloud of noxious yellow fumes came out. We both cringed. “Just to be safe, wear gloves.”Heavily armed with all manner of potions, I flicked Nova’s lights off and headed downstairs to wait until her demon appeared.I drifted between rooms for a while, lingering in both the kitchen and the lounge for the longest. I opened the pantry, but Nova’s house was very much an ‘ingredient household’. I opted for a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I left on the counter, and moved on. Grabbing the mug of tea
Ophelia“We’re insane. This is insane.” Nova fisted her hands in her hair and groaned something unintelligible about dark magic, demons, and her soul withering away. I recognized the pure hysteria in the sound. “But I need to sleep before I dismantle this house board by board and rip the slimy fucker out of the walls—”“Inhale,” I cut her off and she sucked in a ragged gasp. “Now hold it and exhale.”She remained silent.“Exhale, Nova.”Her face began to turn red.I rolled my eyes and made sure she saw it, but had to turn away as the urge to smile made my lips start twitching. Nova had always been dramatic, but Nova without her beauty sleep … whew. I could relate, and that’s the only reason why I was being nice to her about it. We were both being haunted by demons, mine were just of my own making.“Holding your breath won’t kill you, it’ll just make you pass out, which will likely bring the demon out sooner than we want.” I flicked her nose. “So, exhale.”Nova let out a long, shudderi
OpheliaI forced open an eye and grumbled, “Nova’s here? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”Edwards snarky reply came a moment later. He was still annoyed from earlier. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not as if you look like the physical manifestation of death or anything. You’ve also been incapacitated for eight hours. Besides, she’s not going anywhere. She’s been sitting on the front porch pouting since four.”Slapping my hand around until I found my cellphone, I tapped at the screen until the display popped up. The time read 6:58pm.She’s been out there for three hours?I dragged myself out of bed, my joints creaking in protest. The mirror confirmed Edwards’ assessment - my hair was a tangled mess, dark circles ringed my eyes, and my clothes were wrinkled. Still, the pain had all but faded since I’d vomited up the potion.Cautiously, I drew on my magic. Other than a bit of lingering nausea, I was able to conjure a change of clothes in minutes.Edward watched me skeptically as I stumbled out o
NovaSunlight crept through my curtains, assaulting my eyes until I had no choice but to peel myself off the floor. My body ached horribly from the uncomfortable position. The metallic eyeliner sigil had smudged, leaving glittery streaks across my cheek and arms. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and couldn’t help but gape at the disheveled witch staring back at me.Milkshake meowed again, likely for her breakfast, reminding me that it was well past morning. Not caring what I looked like, I trudged downstairs. Dad was in the kitchen making coffee, as he did most mornings. Most people ceased to function after losing their mate. Dad didn’t, he just stopped doing everything else.Upon entering I tripped over my own two feet and caught myself on the counter. Sitting there was the plate of cookies I’d hastily made last night. White chocolate macadamia. Frustrated with the spirit’s lack of response, I had shoved one into my mouth and stormed upstairs.Two sat on the plate currently
NovaEarlier that night…After seeing the shadow more frequently over the last two weeks, I should have never let my guard down. I had just been so tired. It had been three, going on four, nights where I’d got little to no sleep. The shadow man wasn’t just a blip in my peripheral now. He was a fixture in the corner of the room, a feeling that swept over me like a wave of vertigo. The worst part was, I couldn’t tell if what I was seeing were real or if it were due to lack of sleep.The guilt intensified until I could no longer think straight.I picked a spot the size of a quarter along my temple. The platinum strands, so similar to my mother’s, littered the carpet around my vanity. Using a comb, I swept my part to the side an inch. It would cover the damage until I made another hair replenishment potion.Dad suggested I call the therapist, which is about the full extent of his advice these days. When he leaves his office, which isn’t often, I catch glimpses of him in the hallway. Sile
OpheliaI waited until I heard his bedroom door close before letting out a slow breath. Turning back to the scrying bowl, I placed a quick silencing charm over the room to ensure the conversation would be private. I wouldn’t put it past Edward to eavesdrop.Magic spilled out of me in a steady stream. I let it seep into the herbs as I hastily poured them into the water. It was my sloppiest work, but I couldn’t focus more than a few seconds at a time. My mind would drift to those birds, and to the feelings stirring in my chest, and my hands would begin to shake.Scrying was an imperfect art. Much like a vast city with a network of alleyways, there were many ways to get to one place. I merely chose the straightest, fastest one.“Dad!” I shouted and my own voice echoed back at me. The water rippled, like rain disturbing the surface of a puddle, when my father’s face appeared. He stood over me as if I were lying on the ground. It made the angle of the image seem off. As the water was distu
OpheliaMy eyes fluttered open as a set of harsh whispers pierced through my consciousness. It was impossible to keep still when my soul recognized the voices.“We know exactly how they got on the island. What I want to know is why that pezzo di merda sent a flock of demons …” His words were laced with venom, ending on a growl that left the rest unintelligible.Jude’s reply was softer, but no less intense. “And we will find out.”My heart began to race. They had to be talking about my father. Again. I took a steadying breath and pushed myself up. There was a dull throb in the places where I’d been wounded by the demon birds. I glanced down and saw white bandages covering parts of my body.“Bird wounds weren’t healing right.” At the sound of Jude’s voice I looked up. My mouth went dry. He was leaning against the wall of my bedroom, his fists jammed in his pockets. An indolent smile unfurled across his face as he caught me staring. Thankfully, he didn’t comment. “There was some kind of