Daughter of Chaos

Chapter Two

Part of me wanted to believe that I'd just had a dream, not an actual visitation from the most powerful goddess on earth. I was shaking and cold all over as I made my way up the stairs to my room. Not caring about the mess, I crawled into my closet and sat on the floor, hiding under the dangling clothes on their hangers. Trying to still my heart, I took three deep breaths, holding the air in my lungs a beat before exhaling.

Red magic. What in the world was that? I'd never heard of anything but Green, White, and Black. They were the balanced triad of crafts taught at my school, Trinity. Did Red magic even exist? Hecate's laughter filled my ears, and I began to feel hot and panicky. I crawled out of my closet and reached for my cell phone, but I didn't call anyone. I thought about it; I was freaked out by her visit and by my impulsive declaration, but when I picked up my phone, the first person I thought of was Justin. I so wasn't ready to go down that road.

Justin and I had dated a few months ago, and it was intense. I've never dated a Non, and he was my first boyfriend, period, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but dating a powerful Witch was a mind-bending experience. Kissing him literally created sparks. It was like holding a hot wire while eating candy: dangerous, sweet, and strange. He still seemed to have feelings for me, but I had a hard time believing it after what had happened in the woods the last night we were together.

I'd planned everything. We'd left the prom early to drive around, and I wasn't ready to go home yet.

"Why don't we sit down by the river?" I suggested, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.

He glanced at my black dress. "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Of course! It'll be a romantic way to end the night." I slid as close to him as the bucket seats in his mother's van would allow and put my hand on his arm. He shivered, and my heart sped up with anticipation.

We didn't say anything when we got to the park, and when I pulled a cheap bottle of champagne out of nowhere, I saw his eyes go wide. Magic can't make something out of nothing, and I wasn't about to tell Justin that I'd stolen the bottle from the convenience store the day before prom and stuck it in his mom's car. It was better if he thought I was powerful and mysterious.

We sat on the muddy bank of the river and took our shoes off. I leaned against his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of his dress shirt. He'd left his jacket in the car. The bubbles from the champagne were flat, but they still made me tingle. Or maybe that was simply my reaction to Justin.

When I leaned over to kiss him, I tasted wine on his lips. He laced his fingers through my hair, and I pressed my body against his, gradually pushing him back until he was almost lying down. Water gurgled beneath us, and when I looked down into his face, I couldn't read the emotions flitting across his eyes.

I closed my eyes and leaned forward for another kiss, but Justin turned his head to the side.

"What's wrong?" I tried to make my voice sound husky, like an old movie star, but I suck at glamouring. A skilled Witch should be able to change her voice or appearance at will, but this was one spell I'd never been able to master.

Justin looked up at me and frowned. "Did you just try to use magic on me?"

I shook my head. "What makes you think that?"

Gently, he lifted me off of him and set me to one side on the bank. "Don't lie to me, Lena."

"It was just a little glamour. I wanted to make you want me as much as I want you."

He reached his hand out and cupped the side of my face. "You don't need magic for that."

Eagerly, I leaned forward again, but he pulled back.