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Ariel nodded her head.
“Shit.”Mom pressed her fist against her mouth and turned away to stare at the fence.
I glanced over at the boys who were still standing on the porch.I shrugged to show them I had no idea what was going on, then reached out for Mom’s arm.“What am I not getting here?”
She turned back to me, her eyes wide and concerned.“The witch in the woods.She’s an ancient.Ifshecursed these wolves, I don’t have enough magic to lift such a spell.”
Resolution tightened in my gut.“Will we be punished if we lift it?”
Mom stared at me, then slowly shook her head.“I don’t think so.But she is an ancient, and her rules are to be obeyed.”
My mother had never taught me such a thing before, and frustration clawed at me.“Mom.These poor people have been wolves for over fifteen years.Their sons were left to be raised by outsiders.There is no way they did anything terrible enough to warrant such a curse, and whatever they did, they’ve done their time.I’m sure they’re sorry for trespassing on the witch’s special place.”
I was all for paying my dues, but the punishment had to fit the crime.
My mom still wasn’t moving.Instead her eyes were filling with tears.“I can’t.”
I grabbed the hair tie from around my wrist and pulled my hair up into a messy bun on top of my head.In some ways it felt like I was preparing for a battle.“Well, I can.As long as you’re sure we won’t be punished, I’ll do the spell anyway.”
It was obvious my mom was paralyzed by some fear that had been instilled in her when she was young.My grandparents had been strict and had used some powerful spells to keep her in line.Because of that, I’d been raised with probably too much love and freedom, not that I was complaining.
Mom wrapped her arms around her body.“You aren’t strong enough to do the spell on your own.”
“Once again, Mom.I can.Remember the necklace?Just tell me it’s okay to try.”
She nodded.“You can try.”
I twisted and gestured to the guys.“Leo, come grab Mom for me.”
The gorgeous man rushed over and put a gentle arm around my mother and guided her back to the porch.He didn’t ask why, he just helped.Because I asked for it.
Thank you, Leo, I thought.Then,poor Mom.
I shook myself, pushing aside my worry for my mother.I had to focus.The book Mom had brought with her had some good spells, but the one I’d found was the one I wanted to try.
I closed Mom’s book and magicked up the one from my room.I’d placed it on the couch, in my spot, so I’d know exactly where it was if I needed to call it here.
The lectern was large enough for both books, so I placed mine on top of Mom’s, feeling the vibration of age-old magic at my fingertips.
I stopped and took a breath, giving thanks for the powers I’d been given.By my parents, by my teachers, and most recently, by Harry and his genie gift.
It felt natural and right to place my hands on the book, so I gripped the edges of the pages and began to read.The words were written in an ancient language I didn’t quite understand, but the message was clear.
I was forcing the curse from the wolves, and giving them back their lives.
The spell had to be recited four times.I finished the first round, and a gust of magic pushed the wolves to the ground, pressing them down into the dirt.
They didn’t fight the magic, but their whimpers of distress caught at my heart.
I knew the boys and Mom would be worried, but I couldn’t think of them just yet.
The spell.Only the spell.
I began the second recitation, sweat rolling down the sides of my face and my cheeks blooming with heat.I focused on the words, on saying every single syllable correctly.
When I lifted my gaze to look at the wolves, a cloud of mist had descended on them.They were still there, I was sure, but they weren’t visible anymore.Not even a hair, or the tip of an ear, poked out of the mist.
I heard my name being called, in what sounded like a shout of panic.
