“My dream…” She trails off, staring up at me as if in a trance. “It came true.”
“Dream?” I give her a puzzled look but then it dawns on me.
Dakota has told me from the very beginning that there was a reason she kept having the same nightmare over and over about myself, but she hadn’t mentioned it including her.
“You never spoke of yourself being in it.”
“I didn’t know. I couldn’t have known. The dreams don’t work like that.”
“Dakota! Are you okay?” Valdine comes to stop beside me.
For whatever reason, I can’t bring myself to help Dakota up off the floor. Valdine does it for me, and soon is inspecting her neck, turning the girl’s head from side to side. She doesn’t give Dakota a chance to respond, gesturing for us to hurry to the infirmary to do further inspections.
I go to reach for Dakota, but she let’s out a cry, and I withdraw my hand immediately. All I had done was place a hand on her shoulder, but it had been enough to cause her alarm.
“Max…you can’t touch her.” Valdine says once she shuts the door behind us, telling Dakota to take a seat on the bed.
I scowl at the witch. “Why can’t I?”
“The mark. You made a bargain with them. This is their promise that you’ll keep yours.”
Dakota reaches up to touch her neck. “What does it mean?”
Valdine gives a forlorn sigh as she shakes her head in dismay. “You’ve been hexed, I’m afraid.”
Dakota
“Hexed again, you mean.” Mr. Daniels doesn’t look happy.
I don’t feel happy either. I have a huge scar wrapped around my neck like a dog collar.
Ms. Evergreen looks up with a frown on her face. “What do you meanagain?”
Mr. Daniels is standing by the door to the infirmary while I remain curled up on my side on the bed. “Dakota was hexed by Hale and Greenfield with her necklace right before the exam. We were on our way to you when they ambushed us.”
Ms. Evergreen looks from Mr. Daniels to me. “Dakota, you’ve never met those women have you?”
I shake my head. “I’ve never seen them before, until now.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Ms. Evergreen says with a soft sigh.
“Ms. Evergreen…”
“Valdine please. Ms. Evergreen makes me sound old.”
Mr. Daniels snorts. “Youareold Val.”
“Shut up Maxi-Pad. I wasn’t talking to you.”
I try not to smile. “Valdine,” she turns to look at me. “What’s happened to me? Why were those women coming after us?”
Valdine leans back in her chair, her green eyes glancing out the window as I push up on my forearms to stare at her. Then she lets out a small breath, saying, “Hale and Greenfield are witches. They prefer to stick to the old rules about species never intermingling. It’s apart of their coven laws. The newer covens, like mine for instance, don’t care about intermingling. As long as it’s not intentional.” She looks over to Mr. Daniels, before glancing at me again.
I’d seen the way she’s looked at him and it leaves my stomach turning sour. Valdine cares for Mr. Daniels and I shouldn’t stand in the way of that.
“And the scar?” Mr. Daniels asks in a low voice. “Can it be healed?”
“A branding mark can’t be taken away so easily. It’ll fade away after time, depending on the spell.” Valdine stands up, gesturing for me to lay on my back. When I do, she tilts up my head to inspect the scar again.