“I call to the Hierophant and to the Star. We seek your wisdom to track from afar.” The words echoed off the tunnel.
After a moment, the chain around Vivi’s neck tugged.
“I call to the Hierophant and to the Star. We seek your wisdom to track from afar.”
The pendant lifted off Vivi’s chest and hovered in front of her. Then, with a sharp jerk, it whipped around and dragged her backwards, up the leftmost tunnel. She gasped as the chain around her neck bit into her skin.
“Vivi? What’s wrong?” Ariana called through the darkness as Vivi dropped her hand.
She tried to answer, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Desperate, Vivi yanked at the chain as stars started to appear at the edge of her vision. Using her last ounce of strength, she managed to pull the chain over her head. She took a huge gulp of air, grasping the pendant in her hands.
Flames flicked up in Bailey’s palms once more, revealing the pledges’ worried faces.
“You okay?” Sonali asked, her eyes wide.
Vivi nodded and took a deep breath, wincing with the effort. “This way.”
She led them in a stumbling parade, the pendant straining before her as if dragged by an invisible cord. Finally, she heard a thunk as the pendant collided with something solid. Ariana stepped next to Vivi and began to feel along the wall. “It’s a door.” She found the knob and wrenched it open, flooding the tunnel with light.
Vivi winced and shielded her eyes as Ariana grabbed her arm and laughed with relief. “We made it,” she said hoarsely.
“Made it where?” Vivi asked as she staggered out of the tunnel into what looked like a basement lined with dusty bottles. Some had strange labels: ADAM AND EVE, ATTRACTION, BETTER BUSINESS, DOUBLE-CROSS. Others, like wine bottles, were more recognizable.
The pendant gave a sharp tug and pointed at the nearby steps just as someone opened the door to the basement.
“You’re here already?” Tiffany appeared at the top of the staircase with Scarlett, who was staring suspiciously at the pledges.
Vivi released the pendant’s chain, and it went flying across the basement.
Scarlett caught it just before it collided with her. She turned the pendant over. “Did you use a locator spell on this?”
“What else were we supposed to do?” Vivi asked, glancing at her fellow pledges.
“The symbols on here were clues to the directions we painted in the tunnel. We wouldn’t expect first-years to do a locator spell.”
“Well, it was Vivi’s idea and it worked,” Ariana said, a note of defiance in her voice as she took Vivi’s hand.
Sonali told them how the tunnels had rumbled and almost caved in. “I’ve never seen power quite like that before.”
“Wow,” Tiffany said, looking impressed. But Vivi was focused on Scarlett, who was staring at her, stonefaced.
Vivi braced herself for a reprimand, but to her surprise and relief, Scarlett just smiled.
“Nicely done, Little Sis. Now let’s celebrate.”
Chapter Eighteen
Scarlett
A tiny witch’s mark hidden in the flourishes of the calligraphy on the sign was the only indication from the outside that the little shop in old Savannah was anything more than a plant store. The sidewalk was an explosion of succulents and orchids, herbs and mini–fruit trees. But inside, if you knew which mirrored, unmarked door to open . . .
“Whoa.”
Scarlett could barely suppress a grin at the new girl’s dazed expression as she walked into Cauldron and Candlesticks for the first time. Dried herbs dangled from the ceiling. Crystals lined one wall, and candles in every color and carving populated another. The last two walls were taken up by bookshelves crammed with everything from ancient tomes to modern-day pop-witch books.
“It’s like a magical speakeasy,” Vivi gushed.
In the center of the room were shelves for the larger ritual equipment: brooms, altars, god and goddess statues from just about every pantheon you could think of. And, of course, the cauldrons and candlesticks from which the store took its name.
“What are all these for?” Vivi gestured to a row of crystals.
“Rose quartz for opening the heart, obsidian for grounding, lapis for opening the third eye. People carry them to enhance their moods or as protection charms.” Scarlett pointed to the herbs dangling from the ceiling. “Everything has energy within it. Certain herbs and crystals lend their particular energy to spells you’re performing, making them stronger.” She gestured toward the cauldrons. “Ritual items help focus your intent. They make you a stronger witch.”
This was a mandatory Big-Little activity. It had been a few days since someone had burned the witch scarecrows on their front lawn, and they needed more supplies to fortify their protection spells, but Scarlett had to admit that shopping with Vivi was kind of fun. She was completely without shame. She gaped at every new thing like a baby tasting sugar for the first time. It was sort of amusing.
She also had to admit that her Little was a lot more powerful than she’d realized. According to Sonali, Vivi had nearly caused an earthquake in the tunnels. That kind of power was rare—and, in the wrong hands, dangerous. But Vivi was working hard at control. Just that morning, during a lesson, she had managed to glamour the entire greenhouse to look like a rainforest.
“So is this what we’re low on?” Vivi held up a bundle of juniper.
“Yup. Grab at least five. We go through it like nobody’s business.” Scarlett held out the basket. “It’s kind of a catchall cleansing or smudging herb. Anytime a spell calls for bay leaves or cedar, you can substitute juniper.”
“How do you know all this?” Vivi asked as she piled the dried branches into the basket.
“My mother taught me.”
“You’re lucky,” Vivi said wistfully. “My mom never even told me I was a witch.”
“I’m not sure lucky is the right word. I mean . . . don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’m a witch. But it comes with a lot of expectations . . .” She paused, unsure how much to reveal. “My mother puts a lot of pressure on me.”
“I think I would’ve preferred that.” Vivi ran her hands over a row of crystals. “My mom never explained any of this to me. We used to just move on a whim. Like when we were living in Vegas, I came home one day to find all my things packed in the car. She said we were heading to San Diego that very moment because she saw ‘a wickedness’ in her tea leaves.”
“And you didn’t wonder if you might be a witch?” Scarlett said pointedly.
“Touché.” Vivi laughed a little. “I mean, I guess the signs were all there. But I spent most of my childhood assuming my mom was a fraud. And maybe she is? I’m still not quite sure whether she knows any real magic or if she’s just really good at telling desperate women that their deadbeat husbands are about to have a lucky turn.”
Scarlett’s eyebrows rose. She hadn’t expected that. For some reason, she’d been imagining Vivi’s childhood as . . . well, normal. Free from all the pressure of the magical world. Free from the constant need to be the best, the smartest, the strongest. “She’s probably a real witch. Magic like yours doesn’t skip a generation.”