Free Dark Magick by Cate Tiernan

have an assignment for you.”
    “I’m sorry, Cal, I won’t be here,” said Sharon.
    “That’s okay,” he said. “I know you have plans with your family. Do these exercises on your own, and tell us about it the next time we see you. Now, one of the basic platforms of Wicca is self-knowledge. One of my teachers once said, ‘Know yourself, and you know the universe,’ and that may have been overstating it a bit, but not entirely.”
    Jenna and Sharon nodded, and I saw Ethan gently massaging Sharon’s shoulder.
    “I want you to work on self-imaging,” Cal went on. “You’re going to find your personal correspondences, your own . . . what’s the word? I guess helpers or connectors sort of comes close. They’re the things that speak to you, that feel like you, that awaken something in you. Objects or symbols that strengthen your connection to your own magick.”
    “Not following you here,” said Robbie.
    “Sorry—let me give you some examples. Things like stones, the four elements, flowers, animals, herbs, seasons, foods,” said Cal, ticking them off on his fingers. “My stone is a tigereye. I often use it in my rituals. My element is fire. My metal is gold. My personal rune is—a secret. My season is autumn. My sign is Gemini. My cloth is linen.”
    “And your car of choice is Ford,” Robbie said, and Cal laughed.
    “Right. No, seriously. Think especially about elements, stars, stones, seasons, and plants. Define yourselves, but don’t limit yourselves. Don’t force anything. If nothing speaks to you, don’t worry about it. Just move on to something else. But explore your connection to earthly things and to unearthly things.” Cal looked around at us. “Any questions?”
    “This is so cool,” said Sharon.
    “I already know your correspondences,” Ethan told her. “Your metal is gold, your stone is a diamond, your season is the post-Christmas sale season . . . ouch!” he said as Sharon clipped him smartly on the head. He laughed and raised his hands to defend himself.
    “Very funny!” said Sharon, trying not to smile. “And your element is dirt, and your metal is lead, and your plant is marijuana! ”
    “I don’t smoke anymore!” Ethan protested.
    We were all laughing, and I felt almost lighthearted in a way that I hadn’t since Hunter—
    The first bell rang, and suddenly the halls were filled with students swarming to their homerooms. We gathered our various belongings and went our separate ways. And I wondered how much longer I could take this inner darkness.
     
    After the school bell rang at noon, I waited for Cal and Mary K. by the east entrance. It was snowing again. Footsteps sounded behind me, and I turned to see Raven and Bree heading toward the double doors. Bree’s face hardened when she saw me.
    “So, what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?” I blinked in surprise as the words left my mouth. Two pairs of dark eyes locked in on me as if I were glowing like a neon light.
    “Um, well, gee,” Raven said. “I guess I’m celebrating a day of wonder and thankfulness in the arms of my loving family. How about you?”
    Since I knew her loving family consisted of a mother who had too many boyfriends and an older brother who was away in the army, I guessed she didn’t have plans.
    I shrugged. “Family. Turkey. A pumpkin pie gone wrong. Keeping my cat off the dining room table.”
    “You have a cat?” Bree asked, unable to help herself. She had a major weakness for cats.
    I nodded. “A gray kitten. He’s incredibly adorable. Totally bad. Bad and adorable.”
    “This is delightful”—Raven sighed as Bree opened her mouth to speak—“but we really must be going. We have things to do, people to see.”
    “Sky?” I asked.
    “None of your business,” Raven said with a smirk.
    Bree was silent as they thumped down the stairs in their matching heavy boots.
    A second later Mary K. ran up to say she was going to Jaycee’s and Mom had said it was okay, and then Cal came up