Southern Charms

Half Truths

"She won't remember anything, you're sure?"

    I stood in the woods outside Flannery's house. October had arrived in its usual glory. Mild temperatures and sunshine that turned leaves from green to amber and gold with every passing day. Hints of approaching autumn rode the breeze, but with Mississippi weather, you could never be sure summer was truly gone. It had a habit of lingering, appearing suddenly after days of pleasant cool.

Willow was at my side, her stooped shoulders making her seem smaller than usual. Her pixie cut was un-styled, and her bangs fell into eyes dragged down her face by bruised circles. The time since I'd made the deal with Malphas had been hard on us both, and she didn't even know the truth. I wondered if she sensed it.

"No, she shouldn't. As long as Charlie doesn't ruin it."

She jerked her sharp chin toward the boy. He sat on the porch swing with Flannery. Something she said made him throw his head back with laughter. It was so much like something Charlie might do that my throat tightened.

"We should've let Clemmy try."

"No, it's better this way."

"Why? Having someone in the impoten world who knows our secrets is dangerous. Especially after everything he went through. Charlie could be unstable."

"I told you why."

It wasn't the truth, but it would have to do. I looked down at my left hand, studying the tip of my ring finger with intensity. Nothing remained of the pin prick. No scar or blood marked the spot. The consequences of that wound were all internal. Felt only in the tugging of my soul against his will.

"Do you really think Charlie will want to become a witch. His powers can't be any greater than a hedge witch. It would be easier to just be impoten."

We turned to walk further into the woods. Unable to resist one last glance, I looked over my shoulder. Flannery looked so happy. Her body was relaxed, her eyes weren't haunted by the horrors of the last few days, and most importantly, her brother sat at her side, his arm draped over her shoulders. She would have him for a few more months at least, and when he disappeared, it would be from something normal. An accident. An illness. Something she could mourn without hiding the truth from those around her.

Malphas stopped talking and peered into the trees. This far back, I wasn't visible, but his gaze locked on me. This was part of the deal. Part of the bond even though it wasn't fully completed. He would be able to find me always.

In less than three months, I would belong to him completely. The moment I turned seventeen, I would speak the vows that would tie him to me forever, and my soul would be shared with him, allowing him to remain on the mortal plane until I ceased to exist.

"I still don't understand what's going on."

After Malphas backed me into a corner, I'd negotiated my terms of acceptance. First, my friends were to be released, my mother's name was to be cleared, and life in Black Brier was to return to some semblance of normalcy. There were those who suspected Luis was up to something terrible despite his attempts to keep it hidden, but there were just as many who were on board with his plan.

I wouldn't release my magic until the night I turned seventeen. Too many questions would demand answers if I suddenly came into magic after years without, but since seventeen is when a witch received her Gifts, I could explain it away then. My hand went to the necklace, and it was an effort to not break it open.

The biggest request I had and one I wouldn't budge on was that Malphas had to live as Charlie until our final bonding ceremony. To give Flannery and her mother a chance to love him and say goodbye, even if they didn't know that's what they were saying. Part of me hoped Malphas might learn something during his time among them. There was a reason demons craved human emotions, and what was more powerful than love?

But more than anything, I asked for Charlie. For the boy I was convinced still lived regardless of what Malphas admitted. If he could see that his family was going to be okay, he might be able to let go peacefully.

Malphas, of course, suspected I was trying to come up with an escape plan, but despite his claims that he was willing to wait until my baby sister came of age, he was desperate to lay claim to me. Whether it was because there was something specific about me that he desired or because he was truly impatient, I didn't know, but I exploited it.

And I was trying to come up with a way out of this mess. I would fight until the moment I spoke the vows.

"What don't you understand?" I asked Willow when we reappeared in my front yard.

She dragged her fingers through her limp hair. "How he just gave up. He had us right where he wanted us."

"I told you. He realized I didn't have what he wanted. He was promised a powerful witch, and I'm not that. Not in the slightest. Now it's up to Luis to fulfill his end of the bargain, and that gives us more time to find a way to stop him."

Half truths.

"So, he just released his claim on Charlie's body, and is going to bide his time in the underworld until my uncle calls him again?"

"Charlie's body was about to die. He would've needed a new host anyways."

"I'm just glad you're okay, and now that we have your parents back, safe and healthy, we need to give this over to the adults." Willow drew me into a tight hug. "They're going to get what's coming to them. I've got to get home. Now that Mabon's over, my mother isn't so lenient about my absences."

"Are you going to tell her the truth?"

Willow turned white. "I'm afraid. What if- what if she's part of it? She's Luis's baby sister."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't offer her comforting words because it could be true. If the last few days had taught me anything, it was that trust was a dangerous thing. My own father and sister had betrayed me. Would it be too far of a stretch to say Willow's mother might be in on Luis's grand plan?

"So, we agree that we'll keep this to Clemmy and my mother?"

"I think that's best for now. They'll know who we can talk to. Luis needs to have his powers bound before he can do anymore damage."

I sat on the front porch long after she was gone. The house behind me was silent. The rat swing remained empty. Mama spent most of her time since her release at Southern Charms. She told me she was preparing for Samhain and catching up after so much time off for Mabon. I wondered if she was doing more than that. Making charms like the bracelet I wore to give us a fighting chance against the war to come. Because where there was one person who openly supported division, there were others who would follow their leadership. They were the sheep who'd been waiting for a shepherd.

Harmony didn't dare show her face yet. She would, eventually. Mama wasn't aware of how deep her middle child's treachery went, and I wanted to talk to Harmony before I told our mother everything.

    Gravel crunching beneath shoes drew my eyes upward, and I swallowed hard. Ash stood at the end of the drive, one arm crossed over his body as he watched me. It surprised me that Luis wasn't keeping him on a short leash after everything that had transpired, but then again, why would he? I was a tame little pet now. There was nothing his son could do to stop what was coming now that I'd agreed.

    He'd sought me out almost immediately after the deal was struck, and I'd runaway, unable to feed him the same lies I'd told everyone else. Because he would know them for what they were, and he would either hate me for them or hate me for the truth. There was no winning.

    "Rose-" I shot to my feet and pulled the front door open, the squealing hinges cutting him off. "Please."

    I kept my back to him, trembling as tears spilled over my lashes. I counted to one hundred, my ears straining for another word, my heart hopeful. When I turned around, he was gone.