Free Moondust by J.L. Weil Page A

get the word out. It seemed too horrible to imagine. I knew that she was capable of unthinkable things, but I had come to know her, to care about her. Hell was no place for Morgana.
    She turned me to toward her, framing her hands on my face. “Don’t worry for me, lo ve. It’s not so bad: I got to see you. And if it is the last act I do, I will ensure that you don’t join me.”
    If I had any doubts about Morgana’s loyalty or her motives, they were squashed. The sheer determination in her eyes and the electric current at her fingertips did the trick. “This is all just so much,” I mumbled.
    Straightening up to her full height, she lifted her chin. “No one said being a witch was a walk in the park.” She started walking again and I jogged to catch up, following her on a dirt path. “So how is Dark and Handsome handling your powers?” she asked.
    “Like I never t ried to drain him of his powers,” I mumbled.
    “That bothers you,” she said in more of a statement than a question.
    I gave a lopsided shrug.
    “And the other —the dream stalker?”
    The woods opened up to a rocky shore. “He doesn’t know…yet,” I added. The plan was to tell him tomorrow.
    Her delicate brows lifted. “Hmm. Why the hesitation? I assumed by your troubled heart that you would have already spilled the beans.”
    My stomach tumbled over itself. “I’m afraid to trust anyone, even myself. What if I end up hurting him, or worse?” Taking witches’ powers was as bad as stealing their souls. I might as well just plunge a knife in their backs.
    She scoffed. “Sounds like a lame excuse.”
    Was it just an excuse? Was I making things so much more complex because I was letting my fear rule me? I was so afraid of this power inside me that I couldn’t see clearly.
    I swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. “Sophie says that the darkness in my soul is growing.”
    Her violet eyes sobered. “And it will. Every time you take an ounce of magic from another witch, it will blacken your heart. You don’t use that kind of magic without a hefty price, dear.”
    “What if I am unable to stop myself from using it?” I knew that there was panic in my eyes as I looked up at her.
    She looked directly into my eyes, and it was almost like looking at my reflection. “Do not doubt yourself. There is power in belief. Trust in that. Trust in your choices. They will make you stronger.”
    Ugh. She made it sound like a piece of cake.
    “I wish I could steal some of your confidence.”
    She laughed. “I think you have plenty. It’s in your blood. You just need to unleash it.”
    My shoulders sagged. “Tell me you have a spell for that.”
    Her hands touched my shoulders. “Not everything can be fixed with a spell. The storm is coming, Brianna. Be prepared.” Those were her final words before the white light blinded me and I was once again staring at my ceiling.

 
     
    Chapter 10
     
    The doorbell rang, and I jumped even though I was expecting him. I thought about asking Gavin to be here with me when I told Lukas, but then I remembered that they couldn’t stand each other. I didn’t want my house to suffer any damage from their fireworks.
    So it was just Lukas and me—and my huge secret.
    Disheveled frat boy. That was my first impression when I opened the door and saw Lukas. The North Carolina sun was hidden behind gloomy clouds as if the skies felt my nervousness, but it didn’t matter. When Lukas smiled, he brought the sun.
    I frowned. “Why do you look like you just won the lottery?” His cheerfulness made me leery; it felt like he had a trick up his sleeve.
    Leaning his shoulder on the doorframe, he said, “I’m just happy you came to your senses.”
    I wrinkled my nose. “You’re weird.”
    Unfazed, he brushed past me into the house, and I shut the door behind him. “That’s not the response I usually get.”
    Lunar took one peek at the newco mer and bolted out of the room, nails catching on the carpet. I