She smoothed the hair out of her mouth. “Because I’ve seen how this is all going to end. The world will be safe. Everyone will be safe.” Then she pushed past me back into the house, not waiting to see if I followed. And I wasn’t planning on it. I’d stand out here all damn day if I had too, until she could see that I wasn’t about to give up.
But this was nothing but a threat to myself I realized. I trailed after her, catching up as she reached the stairs.
“I think I almost got it,” Aislin announced, beaming in the doorway of the living room, the bowl resting against her hip as she stirred. Something in our expressions made her back away, like she knew a secret and was giving us our space. It made me wonder what I was about to walk into.
Gemma climbed up the stairs, her footsteps quick. Her hands quivered as she opened her bedroom door. She walked over to her computer and picked up a candle, turning it in her hand.
“This is what I wanted to show you,” she said, her voice shaking. She cleared her throat.
“Okay. It’s… nice.” Was I missing something?
She frowned, disappointed. “It’s nice? That’s all you have to say?”
“It’s a candle.” I shrugged. “What do you want me to say?” She bit at her lip, biting back a smile. “No, it s so much more than a candle.” 194
Chapter 41
(Gemma)
“So what is it then?” he asked, unaware of the importance of this moment.
“It s a candle,” I stated.
He rolled his eyes and the corners of his mouth quirked up. “Obviously, Gemma. But what’s so special about it.” He took the small rainbow candle from my hand.
I grabbed a lighter off my desk and flicked it open. “A witch gave it to me.” I didn’t bother mentioning what I’d given up to get the candle. Without my locket, my neck felt bare and exposed, just like my emotions did now. “It’s a Power of Entrapment candle. I got it from the Black Magic place.”
He was already shaking his head. “We’re not using anything that came from a black magic place. It s too dangerous.”
“We already did,” I pointed out. “We used a whole bunch of stuff, so Aislin could remove my wings.”
His eyes moved to my wingless back. “Yeah, but that was an emergency.”
“So’s this candle,” I said, knowing I was stretching it on the emergency part.
“Okay. Do you want to tell me what it does? Maybe then I can decide for myself whether we want to use it for whatever you’re thinking.”
I was thinking a lot. At that moment, millions of images flooded my mind, some real, some made up. “It’s supposed to trap the power of a witch in her body, at least while the wick burns.”
195
“So you want to use it on Aislin or something?” He asked, utterly baffled. “Because I think that might be a little harsh.”
God, did I have to spell it out for him. “I want to —” My voice squeaked and I pretended to cough. “I want to use it to trap our power in our bodies.” I saw it register in his eyes, like a curtain opening. “How’d you get it?” He pinched the wick.
“I told you, at the witch store.”
“I know, but it seems like something that would come at a big price.” I shrugged, forcing down the lump in my throat. “Only dollars from my pocket.” He turned the candle upside down. “And how do we know it works? How do we know it’s not going to kill us?”
My hand shook as I flicked the lighter. “Only one way to find out. Are you in?” He stared me down, his expression never wavering. “I’m in.” Suspending the lighter over the wick, my hand shook as I lit it. Then I jerked back quickly, hoping it wouldn’t explode. We held our breaths as the wick burned bright. There was no magical sparks, no enchanting noises or special effects. There was only silence. And the beating of our hearts.
And just like it was supposed to, the electricity of the star sizzled out, momentarily preserved inside each of us, unable to connect.
But it would only be like this momentarily. Like most good things are, as quick as a breath, or a skip of a heartbeat, as swift as our lives would leave us, it would burn out, just like us.
But right now I didn’t care. Right now, I only cared about one thing.
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“As soon as the wicks gone, it’ll stop,” I said. “The electricity will come back.” He nodded, bright green eyes hypnotized by the flame. “I know.” Then we locked eyes, taking in the silence, thinking of the possibilities.
* * *
This is for Keepsby Spill Canvas poured from the speakers. The room was dark, night shading the outside. The stars twinkled brightly through my bedroom window. I was lying on my back, Alex leaning over me, his heart knocking against my chest as he kissed the tip of my ear.
“This song’s good,” he whispered.
“I think it might be about immortality or something,” I muttered, my eyelids fluttering as he kissed my neck.
“He jerked back slightly.” Where’s your necklace?
My hand touched the hollow of my neck. “I lost it. I think the hook broke or something.”
“I’m sorry,” he said and then stole another kiss from my lips, which were already swollen from the many other kisses he’d stolen within the last hour. Then he slid to my side, eyes watching me with intensity.
“What?” I asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing.” He followed my gaze as he rolled on his back and took my hand.
“Still fascinated with them?”
“The stars?” I shook my head. “No, I was just thinking about something, that’s all.”
“Care to share your thoughts?” He cocked an eyebrow as he propped up on his elbow.
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“I was thinking about death,” I began and he immediately frowned. “And about life, and wondering where it will go.”
“Where what will go?”
“The star. After this is all over.” My eyes were fixated on the stars, shimmering and twinkling.
It wasn’t there anymore. That pull. Instead it was like a push, like the star was the one holding me down. “Will it go back up there? Or will it just be gone?” He didn’t speak and I figured he didn’t like where the conversation was heading. “Did you know that Gemma is an actual star?”
“Obviously,” I rolled my eyes.
“No, Gemma, also known as Alphecca, is part of the constellation Corona Borealis.” He traced my lip with his finger.
“How did I not know this?” I wondered, rubbing my lips together.
“Because there are a ton of constellations and an endless amount of stars.”
“But you know.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and ran my fingers up his back, trying not to smile as he shivered. “What d you do? Google it or something?” He shot me a look like that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “No, I didn’t Google it.”