Chapter 14

Maya stood in shock, her gaze fixed on the house engulfed in flames. The heat from the fire licked at her skin as she cautiously moved closer, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded.

Maya spun around to see a girl with long blonde hair and piercing green eyes approaching her, eyes filled with suspicion. "What?"

"Who. Are. You?" the girl repeated, stepping closer, her tone accusatory. "Did you do this? Are you responsible?"

Maya's attention was diverted by the agonized screams of a woman trapped inside the house. "Someone's still inside," she said, pointing towards the burning building.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "It's my mother."

Maya's eyes widened in horror. "Then why aren't you doing anything to help her?"

The girl's hostility faded, replaced by a look of painful confusion. "Because I can't. This is a dream." She gulped, turning her gaze back to the house. "I wasn't there when it happened."

Maya's mind raced. "If this is a dream... is it your dream or mine?"

The girl gave her a wary look. "I think... mine."

"Then why am I here?" Maya asked, her voice soft but insistent.

The blonde bit her lip, her eyes full of uncertainty. "I don't know."

With a gasp, Maya jolted awake, blinking in the dim light of the living room. She took a moment to orient herself, remembering the late-night gathering with the coven. They had discussed everything under the sun, starting with the mystery of the wolf creature and branching out to topics like football, the Chronicle, magic, and even cartoons. The conversation had been random yet strangely enjoyable. It was surprising how much she had come to appreciate the company of the group she once viewed with disdain.

Dawson and Jason had texted their parents, informing them they were staying over at Maya's, a routine they were accustomed to. Angelo and Sam had done the same, notifying their mothers. Harper was the only one who had asked Maya if it was okay for her to stay over, given she had walked there, and Maya had readily agreed.

Despite having two guest bedrooms, no one had used them. Harper had curled up on the loveseat, Angelo had sprawled across the sofa, while Sam, Dawson, and Jason had made themselves comfortable on the floor. Maya had claimed the Lay-Z-Boy, managing a decent night's sleep.

The living room was littered with soda cans and empty pizza boxes. Thankfully, Maya had taken care of the beer cans, disposing of them in Mr. McGuire's garbage container outside long before her father returned home.

Maya sat up, surveying the scene before quietly making her way upstairs. Peeking into her father's room, she found it empty; he had already left for work despite it being a Saturday. She showered and changed into comfortable clothes before heading back downstairs.

The others were still asleep, so Maya slipped into the kitchen, contemplating what to make for breakfast. Her father had always emphasized the importance of being a good hostess, a trait her mother had excelled at. Determined not to fall short, Maya donned her apron and began scrambling eggs.

As the smell of cooking filled the air, Sam and Jason stumbled into the kitchen, half-asleep. Maya placed plates in front of them, watching with a smirk as they ate mechanically.

Dawson was the next to appear, collapsing into a seat beside Jason and resting his forehead on the table. "I'm never drinking alcohol again. It's evil."

"Don't be such a wuss," Sam mumbled into his fork.

Finally, Angelo and Harper trudged into the kitchen, looking half-asleep but ready to help. Harper, despite her grogginess, offered assistance with a determined smile.

Maya divided the remaining scrambled eggs and toast, placing plates in front of everyone before sitting down with her own meal. Slowly, the group began to rouse, their conversation growing livelier, although some clearly suffered from mild hangovers despite having had only a single beer each.

"Use your herbal knowledge to whip up a hangover potion," Dawson grumbled at Angelo, his head resting in his hands.

"Why?" Angelo raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were done with alcohol forever."

"Just in case I give in to peer pressure again," Dawson mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"So, what's everyone's plan for today?" Harper croaked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"I've got to help my dad on the farm," Dawson said, glancing at his watch. "I'll have to leave right after breakfast."

"I'm catching a ride with him," Jason added, grimacing. "I have to do housework. My parents are getting suspicious about my interest in the occult. They want to keep me at home to ensure I don't do anything 'unchristian'."

Maya rolled her eyes at that.

"I'll catch a ride with you too," Angelo chimed in, swallowing a mouthful of toast. "Promised Mom I'd help her clean out the garage."

Sam turned to Harper. "I can give you a ride back to Clarissa's."

"Thanks," Harper replied with a small, appreciative smile.

After everyone finished eating and left, Maya washed the dishes before collapsing on the sofa with a tired moan. The house felt strangely quiet after the lively morning.

The phone rang loudly in the kitchen, shattering the silence. Groaning, Maya considered ignoring it, but when it started ringing again after only a brief pause, she forced herself off the sofa and into the kitchen. Grabbing the receiver from the wall, she answered, "Burns Residence, how may I help?"

"I'm calling to check up," a familiar voice declared. It took Maya a couple of seconds to recognize it.

"Austen?" Maya's eyes widened in surprise. Still unsure how to address him, she pulled a pink strand of hair out of her face. "I'm doing fine, thanks. How about you? You left in a hurry."

"Yes," he cleared his throat. "There was an issue I needed to look into right away."

"Is everything alright now?" she asked curiously. "Was the issue resolved?"

"I'm still working on it," he replied vaguely. "What about you? How are things in Harvest Grove?" His voice lowered. "Have you had any more interactions with the coven there?"

"Yeah, they just left. We had an impromptu sleepover last night," Maya said, sensing his disapproval even through the silence. She frowned slightly. "I might have broken up the coven though."

"Huh?" Austen made a confused sound.

"I quit the unofficial coven, and under the circumstances, Angelo Stiles quit too. So, the coven's down two members," she explained. "You wouldn't think so with the way we hung out last night, but there's no way I'm joining a coven led by Clarissa Jackson. She might say Harper's the leader, but it's clear she's the one pulling all the strings."

"You're a very smart young woman," Austen said, his disapproval melting into approval.

Maya felt a small surge of pride at his words. "Thanks. I just couldn't stay in a situation where someone else was trying to control everything. Harper's a good person, but Clarissa... she's too much."

"Stay strong and trust your instincts," Austen advised. "You have a good head on your shoulders."

"Angelo says he thinks that Clarissa is going to try to get us back," Maya began, her voice filled with determination. "But there's no way I'm joining anything that has to do with her after what she did."

"What did she do?" Austen's voice was sharp, the protective edge unmistakable.

Maya looked up at the ceiling, recalling the terrifying moment. "I was being rebellious, so she made an example of me by casting a spell that made it impossible for me to breathe."

There was a heavy silence, then a low growl from Austen. "She did what?"

"It's okay," Maya quickly assured him, sensing his rising anger. "I did the wordless magic you told me I could. It was weird because I wasn't even trying. As I was about to lose consciousness, something inside me was let loose, and the ripples of the explosion sent her flying into the wall. The things on the shelves fell on top of her."

Austen remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Does she know what you did?"

"Uh, considering I threw her against the wall—" Maya started.

"Maya," Austen cut her off, his tone curt. "Does Clarissa Jackson know what sort of magic you used on her?"

"Of course. Harper said that Clarissa was shocked that I could perform wordless magic so soon," Maya replied, feeling a smug satisfaction. "Harper can't even do it yet, and to quote Sam, Harper's the Super Child of Awesome."

Austen let out a relieved sigh. "She hasn't realized. That's good."

Maya frowned, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you kept the necklace I gave you hidden?" Austen asked urgently. "Have you kept it safe?"

Maya resisted the urge to make a quip and answered seriously. "Of course. I have it on me all the time, under my shirt. No one's seen it. Not even my dad."

"Good. Keep it that way," Austen said, clearing his throat. "There's so much I need to tell you, and I'd like nothing better than to return to Harvest Grove and have a long conversation with you, but for now, I have to stay here."

She wanted to ask where "here" was, but knowing Austen's secretive nature, she changed the topic. "Do you have an email address?"

He paused. "Why do you need my address?"

"Well," she cleared her throat, sensing he had something to hide. "Instead of going to Clarissa for help, I was wondering if you could assist me with an issue I'm having."

"Go on," he prompted.

"Well, you might not know this, but I'm my high school's newspaper editor—"

"I know this," he interrupted.

She paused, surprised. "Really?"

"I subscribe to the online version of the Chronicle. You have a talent for discovering secrets others wish to remain hidden."

She felt a surge of pride. "Thank you."

"So, I assume this has something to do with a story you're writing," Austen said, steering the conversation back on track.

"Yes," she nodded. "Farmer Wilson is dealing with some severe cattle mutilations, and a friend and I caught what's doing it on tape. It's a wolf, but it clearly isn't just a wolf. I have Angelo using his herbal knowledge to figure out if someone's skinwalking in Harvest Grove and—"

"Do you have it on tape?" he interrupted.

"Yes. All the gory details," she said, twirling the telephone cable around her finger.

"Send it to me."

"I'd need your email," she reminded him.

He sighed and then mumbled a cryptic email address that revealed no personal information whatsoever.

Austen James was definitely a man of many mysteries, and that only made Maya even more curious.

"Would you believe me if I said I overheard some robed dudes in the woods chanting something?" Maya asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Why didn't you tell me this when I was there?" Austen snapped, his frustration evident.

"It's not like you were here very long, were you?" She frowned, not appreciating his tone.

"Do the people know you heard them?" He pressed, urgency lacing his words.

"No," Maya replied, shaking her head.

"Maya, this is important," he stressed, his voice lowering. "Life and death."

Maya gulped, feeling the weight of his words. "Does anyone know that you saw or heard that exchange?"

"No," she promised, certain of it.

"Good. Keep it that way," he said, cursing softly under his breath. "Did this happen before or after you awakened power-wise?"

"The night of," she admitted.

"Damn it!" he hissed. "This isn't good."

"What's going on?" Maya's worry was growing with every passing second.

"Don't repeat that, especially not in front of anyone else," Austen ordered. "If Cassie wasn't so damned stubborn, I'd be on my way back to Harvest Grove right now with what I need to protect you all."

Cassie? Who was that?

"Protect us? From what?" Maya asked, trying to piece together the puzzle. "Are the Witch-Hunters really coming for us like Clarissa says?"

"Maya," Austen sighed. "I can't say anything over the phone, but I need you not to mention this to anyone. No matter how much you trust them. I will return as soon as I can and then I will explain everything to you. I promise."

"Okay," Maya said, holding onto the receiver, her mind racing.

There was a knock in the background. "I have to go. Be careful," he said, and then he hung up.

Taking a deep breath, Maya hung up the receiver, far from the relaxed state she had been in before this conversation. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion and worry.

Considering her laptop had committed suicide the other night, Maya was forced to go into school to use the computers at the Chronicle. She uploaded the video from her camera, hesitating for a moment. She downloaded the files onto a DVD, sending the one with the wolf to Austen before deleting the data off the computer. She stared at the DVD in her hand before slipping it into a cover and into her bag. Looking around, she wondered what to do next. She couldn't write up an article about last night, not even a draft, not while they still had so many questions. And even if she had answers, Maya didn't know if she'd be able to get her head in the right frame of mind to write them.

Freaky cloak-covered dudes whispered about it in the middle of the night while in the forest. Her computer preferred Seppuku rather than giving her any information on it. And Austen James, a seemingly put-together guy with all sorts of knowledge, was completely frazzled by it.

So, what was all this about? And could she wait for Austen to finish whatever mystery mission he was on and come back to explain things to her?

Her curiosity was killing her as it was!