Silence swallows everything as Levi and I watch the willow branches sway in the light breeze. I don’t want to ask him, of all people, and yet I have to know. I force the words out. “So is Winn . . . like you?”
He purses his lips, and it feels like he’s wrestling himself over what to say. “I really want to lie and say he is, because I know you’ll leave him over it. But truthfully, I’m not sure, and I’ll admit I’m curious about it.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Shadows can recognize each other, even if they haven’t taken in magic yet. I’m sure I felt that when I met him, but at the same time he didn’t appear to recognize it in me. At least not in the right way—he sees me as a threat, not someone he shares an identity with.
“On top of that, he doesn’t seem to need magic like us. I crave it, like always being hungry. He doesn’t seem to be bothered in the least by all that power coursing through you.” Levi sighs, looking at me like I cause him physical pain. “And it’s not like there are more than a couple dozen of us. I thought I knew all the Shadows. It doesn’t make sense.”
I gulp, not wanting to say it out loud. “He lives in my great-great-great-aunt Fanny’s house. I found a history in his attic, hidden in a magical compartment. It belonged to Cordelia Black.”
He actually looks surprised by this. “Really?”
“Yeah, but like you said, things don’t seem to be adding up. I think he knows something, but he’s trying to hide it. And if he is like you, he’s had plenty of opportunities to Curse me if he wanted. Why prolong it?”
“Good question. This is definitely weird. I’m not aware of any Blacks living around here either.” He looks at me, his smirk in place. “Do you want me to investigate?”
“Would you?” I don’t like the idea of being in his debt even more, but I have to know whether I can trust Winn or not. Because even after everything I’ve discovered, my heart won’t let him go without a fight.
“Sure. I do have a nice side, you know.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
We both laugh, and in that moment I realize Levi and I have always been after the same things. He wants this to stop as much as I do.
“I’m sorry, for everything,” I say.
“Me too.” He gives me this look that sets my face on fire. “You know, I hated your mom for so long. You too, of course. In my mother’s history, she said that Carmina wasn’t sunshine—she was the sun. Everything couldn’t help but orbit around her, but nobody minded because she warmed them all up. I think I’m beginning to understand why she felt that way.”
I can’t stop staring at my ratty old tennis shoes. “So now that we kind of understand each other, how do we stop him?”
“That is a complicated question,” he says. “Legend goes that an ancient Black witch fell in love, and she told the man what she was. He asked to share her power, and she was so blind that she did it. But it was never enough; he found a way to take magic from her. He passed on that ability, just like witches pass on theirs.”
“I can’t believe . . .” It’s horrible, stupid beyond insane. “And no one tried to stop him?”
“That’s the thing. Shadows can store a lot more magic than you can; we need to since we can’t take it from the ground. The Blacks tried to stop him, but he’d Curse them and take their magic before they even had a chance, until he had so much no one could stop him. Compromises were made to satiate him until he died from Consumption, but he had seven sons. The Blacks became their stewards and remain so—they allow us to use them as payment for their mistake.
“Most of us don’t enjoy being what we are and only use our steward’s magic, but there are always a few like my dad out there. Consumed, insatiable, pretty much pure evil. The Blacks spend a lot of time trying to hide all this, but they can’t always control all their family members or their creations.”
It feels like he’s rambling, like he’s avoiding the real answer. “Are you saying you don’t know how to beat him?”
“I do.” He gulps. “I’m just giving you some background so you know how big a job this will be. He’s been sucking up all your grandmother’s magic—he has so much I can hardly stand to be in the same place as him—and he plans to use it to break through your house’s barriers so my grandmother can have it. You? He wants to keep you for a long time. He’s gotten quite a taste for Hemlock magic, so you’ll get to be his pet for as long as you survive.”
I shudder. The thought of his father leeching off me is too much to bear. “How are we supposed to beat him if he has a huge store of my nana’s magic? She’s majorly powerful, Levi, which means he’s . . . godly.”
He chews his lip, much like Kat does. “There’s only one way.”
“Which is?”
His eyes meet mine, and suddenly I don’t like where this is going at all. “A few kisses won’t do it. I’d need a lot more than that. Like a year’s worth of kissing, which we don’t exactly have time for. So . . .”
I take a few steps back. “Are you saying the only way to beat him is to Curse me?”
“You saw what I did with your power at the hospital, and that was using the little you had at the time. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think we could do it. Your magic is incredible and truly unique. I could—”
“I’m such an idiot!” I kick the ground, though maybe I should have kicked him where it hurts. “It’s what you’ve wanted all along! That’s your big plan, isn’t it? Get your dad out of the way so you can have my power instead.”
“No! All I want is to stop him.” He tries to grab me, but I shock his hand. “Damn it, Jo! I would never let you die because of it. I would . . . I would always take care of you. I would be indebted to you forever. How many times do I have to say that I don’t want to hurt you?”
“A million, at least. What makes you think I’d ever say yes?”
His face hardens. “Because you know I have the skill to get the job done.”
“No offense, but if that’s your only plan I’d rather figure out how to kill your father myself.”
“You’ll fail.” His jaw sets, and I can feel him fighting to stay still. “You’re just going to let your grandma die?”
“Charming. I’m so convinced now.” I turn, heading back toward my house. Maybe I’m walking away from my big chance to fix things, but this can’t be the right path. I should have listened to Nana—Levi might have answers, but they come at too heavy a price. There has to be something else, and I will find it.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Three days later, I pace the apothecary floor in a fit of nerves. Gwen texted me an hour ago, saying her parents are finally sure she’s not dying, so she’s on her way over. I don’t know why I’m so jittery, but I can’t help myself. Promise to Kat or not, I shouldn’t be doing this. But then again, Nana and I have practically murdered every witching tradition in the last few weeks, so why not add to the pile?
“For the love, Jo!” Maggie says. “I’ve had two liters of Mountain Dew and you’re still beating me on the hyper scale. Sit down!”
“Gwen will be fine,” Kat adds. “In fact, she’ll probably be ecstatic.”
“Still, she has no clue what she’s getting into.”
A loud bang sounds from the hallway, and in walk Tessa and Prudence. Just in time. Maggie doesn’t quite have the skill level to perform a binding, and I have to participate, so I asked them to help.
Tessa wraps me in a hug, “How is Dorothea?”
“Not good,” I say, pushing back the lump in my throat. “But she would love to see you, I’m sure.”
She offers a tight smile. “We’ll visit her after we help with your friend.”