A strange sense, that we were all connected, rushed over me. I swore I could hear all their heartbeats beating in tune with mine, and our breaths were all measured and controlled together. It wasn’t like I was sliding into their bodies, but more so that we were connected in a way I could never imagine. And then, that feeling grew, and suddenly I was overwhelmed by the scents of the forest. Pine filled my nostrils, and the wind seemed to wrap around my skin. I could feel each tree gently moving with the breeze, and all the plants bending under its force. It even felt like I was aware of every single animal in the woods around us.
And then, for one terrible moment, it was like I was that in tune with the whole world. With every living person. With every plant and creature. I was lost for a minute, no longer a person, but a vessel.
I almost said it was too much, that I couldn’t handle anymore, when it abruptly ended.
This time… I felt alone. So alone that tears filled my eyes, and my chest felt heavy with a need to sob and sob into the sky, to reach out for all the living things that I was briefly connected to.
But Hildy fell over, drawing me back to reality in an instant. Her friend, Khat, lurched forward and tried to help, but Hildy’s eyes rolled up in her head and she twitched. It was as if whatever spell she’d created was too much for her body, and it scared me. Was this supposed to happen? Or had something gone wrong?
I looked at the others. They all seemed worried, which told me that this wasn’t normal. And that deep sense of worry grew deeper inside of me. This seemed like the best choice to discover who was after Beth, but what if we’d hurt someone for the information? I wasn’t sure I could forgive myself.
“What’s wrong with her?” I gasped.
Deva yanked something out of her pocket. “Here.” She handed Khat a little piece of candy. “That will give her strength.”
Khat stuffed the candy in Hildy’s mouth and looked back at Deva with uncertainty, but Deva nodded her on as she said, “Massage her throat.”
A few seconds later, Hildy calmed down and blinked at us as she struggled to sit up. “Oh, my,” she whispered. “That was intense.”
Intense? Okay, so none of this was normal, but she seemed okay now. So, what did she mean by intense?
She breathed deep and took another piece of candy from Deva, who apparently had a whole stash in her pocket. “Thank you, dear. Your candy really helped me break away.”
“Away from what?” I squeaked.
Hildy looked at Beth with grave eyes. “The force that held me… it must be destroyed, or I fear it will destroy you.”
Uh oh.
Beth’s cheeks paled as she absorbed Hildy’s words.
“Can we find the source?” Deva asked, and even though she was hard to rattle, she seemed shaken, almost scared.
Actually, the whole group seemed upset. So, what did all this mean?
Khat held Hildy’s hands as the witch nodded. “I believe we can find the source and save Beth, but the cost may be great.”
15
Emma
The night air was cold, and the wind carried with it the scents of the forest, of green life and nature, but there was also another scent, one that felt like magic. Or, maybe, I was only imagining the sweet and spicy something that whispered that it was supernatural. Yet, every time I took a deep breath, I couldn’t shake the sense that this night held the possibility of incredible things.
In front of me, a bonfire blazed. The dancing flames illuminated the trees in a way that was some mix of frightening and liberating. Kind of like how every day had been since becoming Karma. With each leap of the flames, the shadows danced around us, and it made it feel like the man who attacked us could be feet from us, and we’d never even know. Sometimes I even imagined eyes watching me from the dark, but I tried to push away the silly fear. Instead, I focused on the fire, but I couldn’t shake free of what I was about to do. In a lot of ways, it was the most terrifying thing I’ve done since coming back to Mystic Hollow.
Which was silly. I’d been through so much craziness. And yet, it didn’t change the way I felt.
Gulping, I did everything I could to calm my heart rate. Breathing evenly, I wiggled my toes in the grass, enjoying the feel of the dampness of the soil. I was safe. I had no reason to be so terrified. And I was a logical person. Wasn’t I?
A hand on my back gently pushed me forward. As I stepped lightly over the grass, I looked back at Beth’s smiling face. She winked at me from under her hooded robe. I wore one just like it, as did Deva and Carol, and a whole bunch of nameless witches from the coven. To them, all of this was normal. But to me, it was like standing up in front of a crowd and singing, with my awful singing voice. Or, maybe, diving off the edge of a cliff and just hoping I don’t come down on a rock… or two inches of water.
What was coming made my stomach churn. But I simply had to do it. I had to help Beth figure out what was going on before she was hurt by all this insanity. And they had all assured me this was the only way. So, this would just be the next thing that the “new” me would do. I just hoped no one else could tell just how nervous I was.
Without warning, someone pulled on my robe, yanking it off my
