Page 61 of The Demon's Spell

“Lucas, thank the Goddess,” Nadine’s worried tone came over the line. “You disappeared into thin air! But… how?”

“I… I don’t know.” This kind of thing didn’t happen in the Miriamic Coven.

“Your dad thinks we’ve hexed him with some sort of illusion magic,” Nadine said.

“Get out of there,” I demanded. “I don’t want you anywhere near my father. There’s an extra set of keys in my glove compartment. I’m back at school. I don’t know how I got here.”

“We’ll be there right away,” Nadine promised.

I was still shaken by the whole experience. I could hardly bring myself to move. I managed to make it to the front steps, but once I was there, I collapsed and just sat there. My head spun, and I kept running over what my father had said in my mind. I didn’t want to believe any of it, but I’d been conditioned to believe every word that came out of my father’s mouth. Even years apart from him hadn’t changed that.

He was right. I couldn’t fight my own battles. I was a shit son. If my mom was to lose any son, it should’ve been me… not Eric.

Perhaps my brother was on to something. He’d disappeared. Like I wanted to right now.

I found myself conjuring my wand and spinning it around in my hands. It’d be so easy to just end it all. Just one battle spell to the side of my head, and I’d be gone. All of this would be over.

I didn’t want to do it. I had things to live for—people to live for. My life had never been better. But the coven was suffering, and maybe Nadine would be better off fulfilling the prophecy without me getting in the way.

I couldn’t help the intrusive thoughts. I didn’t want to feel this way. But there was something appealing about just ending it all.

I placed the tip of my wand below my chin. I wasn’t going to do it. I just wanted to see what it’d feel like to get close… to see how far I’d really take it.

To scare myself out of it.

“Lucas!” Grant’s voice made my whole body go rigid, and I subconjured my wand like it’d never been there in the first place. Nadine had pulled up in front of the school, and my friends piled out of the car. I stood, but I didn’t say anything.

Nadine rushed toward me, and she threw her arms around me. Her hug soothed me unlike anything else. I felt like I could breathe again.

“I’m all right,” I told her. At least, I would be.

“You were there one second and gone the next,” Grant started.

“I know,” I said. “There was definitely something magical about what happened. But who has the magic to do something like that—to teleport me somewhere? Could the Waning not just be taking our magic, but messing with it somehow? The only other explanation is—”

It hit me like a hearse going a hundred miles an hour.

“Goddess, I think I know what happened.” I glanced toward the front doors to the school. Someone could walk out at any moment.

“Maybe we should talk inside,” Grant suggested.

I nodded, then led everyone toward the Gravestone, where we wouldn’t be heard. We passed Miles in the hall, and he caught the serious look on my face. He followed closely behind us, his cat at his heels. Grant quickly filled his brother in. My friends all took a seat, but I remained standing.

“It was portal magic,” I stated. “I’m sure of it. We keep saying the coven’s portal magic is shit, but we know it exists. In limited capacities, at least.”

“What are the chances of a portal showing up on Main Street and teleport you back to the school?” Talia asked.

“Professor Leto said he knew more about my magic than he’d ever let on. He was talking about portal magic,” I said. “It wasn’t a random portal, Tal. I created it myself.”

“Of course,” Nadine said. “Reapers use portal magic to cross realms. Leto didn’t tell you because if you can open portals to other realms, he’s in trouble.”

Miles tapped his chin. “This isn’t the first time you’ve made a portal. A portal appeared in the forest when you helped Professor Daymond cross over.”

“And with Professor Ward,” Nadine pointed out. “They were your assignment before the portals ever opened. You must’ve opened them yourself, without realizing it.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Problem is, I don’t know how to control it yet.”

“Yet,” Nadine emphasized. “But you’re going to get better.”