The Opal Witch: Prophecy (Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lux

The dull gray winter landscape went by in a blur, but Lux didn't see any of it despite facing the window. Her eyes were glued to the slightly blurry reflection of her former friend. A small spell sharpened the image, but there wasn't much to see. Just a tired, aged version of the girl whose heart Lux used to think she knew as well as her own.

Kitty had said little since dropping the bomb on them, but what she had said had been enough to convince Lux and Declan to bring her along, even if they were more than a little suspicious of her motives. It wasn't a stretch to imagine the girl was the one sending the Dreams to Lux, hoping she could use them and their former friendship to manipulate Lux into letting her close, which is why they required her to submit to a physical and magical search for bloodstones before agreeing to let her come along.

But Kitty was either genuine or not stupid enough to wear a bloodstone in such proximity to them. Either way, she was now sitting just inches away from Lux, and it was torture to not be able to reach over and hug her.

"I can feel you watching me," Kitty said at last, twisting her neck to peer at Lux. Amusement mingled with wariness in her eyes.

"Just waiting for the inevitable death threat and doom and gloom prophecy."

She stretched her legs and rubbed her hands over her knees. Lux followed the movement and sucked in a breath. Her weight loss had been obvious, but standing her baggy clothes gave the illusion of weight. Now, she could see how thin her legs were, and her knees were sharp points beneath the denim.

"I've put the death threats on hold for the moment, but the gloom and doom is very real."

Lux dropped her head against the seat and huffed. "Did I ever pretend otherwise?"

"You bound my powers."

"Because you were intent on killing me."

The car swerved a bit, and Lux looked up to find Declan's brown eyes filling the rearview mirror. He ached for her—she could see it in the reflection and feel it in her chest, but he also hurt for himself. As the First Circle's sorcerer, Kitty was his to protect, and he believed he'd failed her.

"I told you that was a last resort. I asked you to bind your powers."

"And called me an abomination."

Kitty coughed into her hand before smoothing back her tangled hair, bits of faded blue poking through her fingers. "Okay, that's fair."

"And you want me to believe you've suddenly changed your mind about all of this? That after years of using bloodstones—"

"Lux—"

"Do you deny it?"

"No—"

"And you have the nerve to call me an abomination!" She screamed, her gray eyes going silver as she let her magic rise to the surface. Kitty drew back in shock, no doubt remembering similar incidents happening when Lux was without a channeling stone, but this was no accident. She was in complete control, and it was time Kitty saw who she was: Priestess Most High.

"I did what I had to," Kitty wheezed, tears dripping from her chin. "And I will continue to do what I have to. This life isn't some fairytale where everything works out because we want it to, or because you're the hero. That means you can be selfish and still save the day. Daphne showed me Visions—"

"Daphne," Lux repeated, wishing they weren't in the car so she could throttle Kitty properly. Maybe a magical lobotomy was the answer. She could remove every ounce of foul influence her ancestor had exerted on the girl. "Again, why would you rather trust that woman than me?"