Lux
Lux had only been hungover once, and afterward, she promised herself to never, ever drink that much again. So, when she peeled her eyes open to find the world spinning while someone used her brain for drum practice, she tried to remember what would have prompted her to break that vow. Because certainly, nothing else but a night of intense drinking could make her head hurt so much. And her mouth feel like she'd chewed on cotton.
"Ugh," someone grunted beside her, the soft noise having the same impact as an atomic bomb against Lux's eardrums.
"Shhh," someone else whispered.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she squinted at her surroundings. She was on the living room floor, lying next to Sara Elizabeth and Ruby. Brooke and Thorne were on the couch, their mouths slack with sleep while Travis snored on the recliner. His long legs dangled over the edge of the footrest. The curtains were drawn, blocking all but a sliver of glaring morning light.
She jabbed her tongue at her lips, breaking through the sticky film keeping them together and then grimaced as she swiped her tongue over the cracked surface. For a moment, she considered rolling over and going back to sleep like the others, but the robust aroma of fresh coffee drew her to her feet and out of the living room.
"Hey, darling," Mama said when she spied Lux coming into the kitchen. She sat on a stool by the island. Dark half moons bruised the skin below her lashes, and her long sable hair was piled on top of her head, making her look like a twenty-something instead of the mother of one.
"What the heck happened last night?" Lux asked, pouring liquid gold and a splash of creamer into a mug. She scratched the back of her head while she sipped on the hot brew. What in the world could they have gotten into that her mother would've been involved in?
"Oh gods," Mama groaned, "I was hoping you could tell me. Your father and grandmother look as bad as we do, but we have no idea what we did last night."
Lux popped open the trash and searched its contents. Nothing but take out boxes and soda cans. The counters gleamed as if freshly scrubbed, and she didn't recall seeing anything out of place in the hallway or living area- outside of the bodies of the entire Circle plus Travis. It certainly didn't look as if a party had happened last night.
"We either threw the best or the worst party ever," she said with a sigh.
"Can't you smell it?" Mama said. She rubbed her channeling stone as she sniffed the air. "There's so much magic in this house..."
Lux sniffed, checking for the sweet, slightly burnt smell of magic. Her eyes went wide, and she touched her channeling stone in response. Relief from her headache was almost immediate as some of the residual magic traveled through her to the stone.
"The only time I've ever sensed this much power was after Lughnasadh when we performed the Gateway Ritual."
"We performed a spell last night. A powerful one that required the entire Circle and your father."
"But why? And for what?"
"I was hoping you could answer that. The more I try to think about it, the harder it is to focus. There's a blank space in my mind. Like water going around a rock in a stream."
"Same for me," Lux admitted, but rather than feel fretful, a sense of rightness washed over her. The sense that warned her or pushed her forward promised her that they'd done something good.
Mama looked at her with concern. "Lux, you okay?"
"I'm fine, and I wouldn't worry about what happened here. Whatever we did was right and needed. I'm sure of it, but we should all take it easy today. Everyone is going to have a magical hangover."
Her mother nodded and walked over to Lux. She put her hand on one cheek while she kissed the other cheek. "I trust you. I think I'm going to go back to bed. You should do the same."
"I will in a little while. I think I want to take a walk, get some fresh air."
"Okay, I'll see you later."
Fifteen minutes later, Lux left the house dressed in her warmest clothes. The chill in the air was welcome, and she hoped it would hold until Christmas. Last year she spent Christmas Day in tank tops and shorts.
Her feet took her down a familiar path, cutting through the field by the Willoughby's old home. Mrs. Willoughby had passed during the fall of her freshman year in college, and Mr. Willoughby moved in with a nephew, unable to handle living in the home he'd made with his wife. His one request was that the land remain open to public use.
Of course, no one would be swimming in the pond in December, but there were few places that brought her as much peace as this spot. The long grasses growing around the pond's edge were brittle and yellow. Many of the stems were bent, their tips skimming the surface of the pond when the breeze stirred them. Ripples spread out in response to their touch.
Lux lowered herself on the dock, drawing her knees to her chest. She thought of the time she almost drowned. It had seemed like a fluke. A weird stroke of bad luck that she was tangled in the undergrowth and pulled under. But she was almost certain it had been Kitty who'd tried to kill her that day. Had she been any more experienced with her magic, she might have succeeded.
Hot tears pricked her eyes, and she shook them away. The headache would only be worse if she cried, and her former best friend was in possession of far too many of her tears already. It made her wonder though... why did her sixth sense fail her then? If it could whisper mundane things like incoming phone calls and flat tires, why couldn't it tell her to be wary of her friend- her sister?
"Out here all alone?"
Lux tensed when Kitty's voice washed over her. It was as if the universe mocked her by letting the bound earth witch sneak up on her.
"Are you?" she asked, looking over her shoulder and searching for Ashley, Kitty's ever present shadow.
"For now. I was on my way to your house and saw you walking."
"Why would you come to my house? You've picked your side."
Kitty sat beside Lux and stared out across the pond. Blue streaked her blond hair, and she kept the curls restrained in a long braid. Sitting next to her felt strange. Like they'd been transported back in time when it was an everyday occurrence to find the two of them on the dock, their backs to the field and fronts to the water. Auburn and Golden heads pressed together as they shared secrets and laughter and most importantly: love.
That was the thing that broke Lux. Kitty hadn't turned on her because of anything she'd done but because of what she believed Lux would do. There was no gradual breaking down of their friendship, no turning toward hate. One day, there was love and then they were broken.
"Lux, if you would just accept what I've told you, it would be better for the world. Why can't you see this?"
"Maybe because you got your info from a psychotic murderer, and you're asking me to commit suicide."
Kitty sighed. "That's dramatic. We can start with binding your powers. I'm certain it would be enough."
"Oh, I'm sure it would be."
"You're an abomination, Lux."
"Tell me how you really feel," Lux snapped, surprised by Kitty's boldness. It had been nearly two years since she'd tried to speak to Lux this way, to plead for her to give up her life or powers.
"The girl who was my best friend was a good person, but you spent too long without your channeling stone. There are broken things inside of you that can't be healed, and the amount of power you have isn't right for any one person to carry. The darkness is going to come in through the cracks, and that will be the end of us all."
"If it was about my channeling stone, why didn't you do more to help me get it? You were working with Daphne before I turned sixteen."
"I thought I could save you. I wanted to fight against what Daphne told me-"
"And that's why you tried to kill me," Lux snarled, wondering if the girl would deny it.
"That wasn't me. Daphne was nearby, and I was the one who broke her spell. I was punished for that, you know."
All the breath rushed from Lux's lungs. Trusting Kitty was stupid, but she believed her. Needed to believe her in that moment. To know her friend hadn't been set against her from the very beginning.
"It wasn't until later when I saw how unstable you grew that I realized Daphne was right."
"No, I'm stronger for what I went through. I have a respect for the magic we create. Respect I might not have otherwise."
Kitty stood, brushing her pants off. "Then what magic were you messing around with last night? I know you did something. I felt it."
Lux spluttered. There was nothing she could say. She didn't know herself, but her silence was the same as a confession of guilt. Kitty shook her head.
"This was your last warning, Lux. The time is coming when I won't be able to wait anymore."